Gears of War 2: Revelations
by Chrono.clockwork
Summary: Hope runs deep.
1. Where We Were

**A/N:** Hey everyone, Chronos reporting in again! You're probably looking at this, then going back to Under Fire and thinking "What the hell?" Well, when I'm suffering from major brain farts and can't really work on Under Fire, I start working on this little nugget. It follows Gears of War 2 more closely then Under Fire does; in a way, its easier to write then Under Fire simply because it parallels Gears 2. Anyways, enough of my babble, I hope you guys enjoy this :) Reviewers get cyber cookies!

Kudos.

**Gears of War 2: Revelations  
Chapter 1: Where We Were**

"We need more morphine, stat…!"

"We're loosing her!"

If those were the last words Allena Duke ever heard, she wasn't sure she would have minded.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed since the KR had crashed- maybe it had only been a few minutes. She vaguely wondered what had happened to the other occupants of that ill-fated chopper- the kid named Liu and the older Gear, Featherstone, and the pilot and his copilot. They were probably all dead; if not, someone upstairs must have really liked them.

As she bobbed in and out of consciousness, one thing became painfully clear- she wasn't dead yet. It was nicer to be asleep, oblivious to the pain that seemed to come from everywhere, so she put most of her energy into that, into finding a peaceful oblivion that was hers and hers alone for long periods of time. She managed a sound in the back of her throat as someone tried to prod her out of it- it was a sort of _I-don't-care-who-you-are-leave-me-the-fuck-alone_ kind of sound, since the words wouldn't exactly come at the moment.

"Well, it seems she's awake," someone said, and her mind was too muddled for her to recognize who was talking. Slowly, she opened her eyes, everything blurred and hazy for a moment before sharply coming into focus. Three figures leaned over her, all wearing surgical gear.

"Is that… my blood?"

She could only stare wondrously at the blood in the needle that the one of the doctors held into the air, watching as they injected it into a vial. Something told her she should ask what was happening, why they were taking her blood, but the blinding pain in her skull told her it was better to just sit and admire the scarlet liquid

"Yes, you lost quite a bit of it sweetie," one of the medics said soothingly. Allena frowned; she didn't exactly feel like being mothered. She wanted to go back to sleep, more then anything, but the good doctor (or doctors, in this case) seemed to have a different opinion on that. "We thought we were going to loose you there." Allena raised one eyebrow, then tried to sit up, gritting her teeth against the jackhammer going off inside her head.

"Whoa, slow down there," one of the other doctors said, as they rushed to push her back down.

"Get the hell off me," she grumbled, although she wasn't sure those were the words that came out. Someone obviously was not a happy camper.

"Miss Duke, you're still recovering from the KR crash," the female surgeon said, sounding distressed. She tried to gently push her down again, but Allena shrugged her off, pushing the covers back. She checked her arms and legs- they were sore, but it was manageable.

"How long have I been out," she asked, as she unsteadily got to her feet. The doctors gave up on trying to get her back down and went on to mollycoddle her, something that left a bad taste in Allena's mouth.

"Two weeks, Miss Duke."

Allena froze, turning to look at them. "_Two weeks?_ You can't be serious!" The doctor's blinked, looking more then a little fazed by the young woman's outburst. "I've been out for _two weeks?_" She shoved past the doctors and began walking again, fury oozing off of her at a tremendous rate and giving her the energy to move; one could compare it to an injured Brumak going on a final charge. It was all she could do to keep her temper in check- _it wasn't the doctors who put you under for two fucking weeks, Allena… it was that stupid reaver that just had to hit the King Raven and… two weeks? Jesus!_

She pushed out the double doors, gritting her teeth as a wave of nausea hit her. She refused to go down again, she had work to do and it was _important_…

She tripped over her own feet, and her legs decided to give out on her there and then.

"Shit, what the hell?"

Allena was more then surprised to find the she had stopped falling, and that she hadn't hit the floor. She looked up as someone roughly put her back on her feet, her body aching in protest to the rough treatment. She looked up, her scowl already set in place, to find herself looking up at a man built like a _tank_.

"Gear," she said immediately, then flushed slightly. "I mean, thanks." the blonde man scowled at her like she was some kind of nasty disease; Allena raised an eyebrow at him, one hand on her hip. And who the _hell_ did he think he was?

"Yeah, just watch it," he said rather rudely. "Fucking women," he muttered under his breathe. Allena's temper flared, but he stalked off before she could give him a piece of her mind. Allena wasn't the biggest fan of the Gears- sure, she thought they were great warriors and vital to the cause. But learning a bit of _decency_ wouldn't have hurt them one bit.

"Miss Duke, are you alright," the female doctor asked, as they caught up to her.

"Perfectly fine," she said brusquely, a frown still on her face as she watched the blonde Gear leave. "Who was that?"

"I'm not sure, ma'am," the doctor said, not even bothering to look at who Allena was talking about. "You really should get back, Miss Duke, we need to run some diagnostics tests before we can clear you-"

"I'm perfectly fine," Allena said, obviously irritated. "Look, I'm sure there's some poor, dying Gear in there that needs his daily shot of morphine, so you go take care of your business and I'll go take care of mine. Have a nice day." She spun around and walked off, leaving the doctors rather baffled. Allena couldn't spare a moment to care; she was going to go back to her office, and if someone had so much as _breathed _on her work, heads would roll.

**-VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV-**

Damon Baird was more then a little surprised when the girl unexpectedly tripped right in front of him. A few expletives escaped his mouth as he caught her, trying not to drop his Lancer in the process. She was a tiny little thing, and she looked like hell; he wouldn't have pinned her for being over 16 or 17, had he run into her on the streets. She looked up at him with big, ice blue eyes; they made him think of a husky dog, like the one his neighbor had had when he was a kid.

"Gear," she gaped, as he set her back on her feet. Her cheeks flushed a delicate shade of red, and she shook her head slightly at herself. At least it wasn't just him who thought she was a complete idiot. "I mean, thanks." He only scowled at her, shouldering his Lancer again.

"Yeah, just watch it," he spat at her, turning abruptly on his heel. "Fucking women." He stalked off, hurrying to catch back up with his squad.

"Yo, Baird, what happened to ya back there, man," Cole asked, slapping him on the shoulder as he caught up. It was apparent that the smaller man was in a rather foul mood, but that didn't deter the ex-thrash ball player. "Thought some of 'em grubs came up and got ya, baby!"

"Nothing, just some stupid kid who didn't know how to walk," he said moodily. Cole only chuckled and shook his head, turning to continue down the hall.

"Damn, Baird, something's sure got you in a bad mood," he said.

"Yeah, and what the hell do you have to be so damn cheerful about?"

**-VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV-**

"Its good to see you back on your feet, Miss Duke."

Allena only nodded her head once at Hoffman's words, more concerned at why the hell she was in his office. Didn't he know she was busy? The 24-year-old tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for him to say whatever it was he had to say.

"That little 'copter crash set you behind schedule, I understand," he said in his gruff manner. She nodded again, noting that the Colonel didn't look too happy. _And what's wrong with you, sunshine?_ "Prescott isn't too happy about that; apparently your work is some big to-do with the higher-ups." Allena could have snorted at that, had she felt the need to. Of course, the Colonel wouldn't agree with her work- for the Gears, hell, for most of humanity, trying to _understand_ the Locusts was a lost cause; killing them all with guns blazing was a better way of life for them. Of course, people like Allena understood that humanity could only hold out like that for so long, and if they didn't win this war _now,_ there would be no later unless there was some sort of contingency plan.

"Yes, well, I am behind a few days," she said, one eyebrow raised. "Excuse me for my rudeness, Colonel, but I _do_ have work to do, and this little meeting is holding me back even more. If I may be so blunt as to ask why I'm here?"

"Yes, of course," Hoffman said, sounding slightly disgruntled. It was obvious he wasn't used to being talked to like that. "Chairman Prescott thinks it would be best if you got some more… _hands-on_ experience with the Locusts."

It was silent in the office as Allena stared down the Colonel, one eyebrow still arched perfectly above her eye. "Pardon me," she finally asked, unable to grasp what he had told her.

"Chairman Prescott wants you to see these things up close and personal," Hoffman said, sounding almost amused by the baffled expression Allena was giving him. _Smug bastard._ "He's asked me to assign you to field work." Allena paled noticeably, her eyes widening.

"Wait, sir, I don't quite understand," she said, feeling herself begin to panic. _Keep your cool, Allena…_ "Do you mean I'm going… out _there_?"

"Yes, Miss Duke," Hoffman said, as if he were talking to a child. "Now, normally I'd say no- my Gears have enough to worry about without having to baby-sit you while you gather information- but the Chairman was adamant that you be sent out." She flinched at the word baby-sit, but let it slide without comment; she was more worried about the fact that she was actually being sent _into the field._ Did Prescott want her dead?

"With all due respect, I'm not a soldier," she said, that ugly beast named Panic sinking its teeth into her. "You can't possibly expect me to _survive…_"

"No worries, Miss Duke," Hoffman said, sounding smug. "You'll be with the best soldiers I can offer…." Allena felt her stomach sink as he pulled out a file, writing some things on a paper inside. "You'll be assigned to Delta squad for Operation Hollow Storm."

"Sir, I don't think that the best time to send me _anywhere_ with _anyone_ would be right now," she said, sounding panicked. "Operation Hollow Storm? I'm sure those Gears don't want to have to worry about me, and I'm not sure I feel so safe-"

"Orders are orders, Miss Duke," Hoffman cut her off, almost cheerily, stamping something on top of the papers. He slid them across the desk to her, and she took them with a sick feeling.

She had a feeling this wasn't going to end well.

**-VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV-**

"What was that?"

"Hoffman did _what_?"

Marcus sighed in irritation as the other members of Delta voiced their complaints, running a hand over his face.

"Look, I'm not to happy about it either," he growled, the other men falling silent. Dom was generally good about these kinds of things; he would be more concerned about their charge then anything else. But of course Baird would bitch just to bitch- it was in his nature.

"First Prescott sends us into the pits of hell, okay, that's all fine and fucking dandy, but now this? The last thing we need is some scientist prick slowing us down," the blonde Gear said, looking absolutely furious. "What the hell, man?"

"Quite your bitching, Baird," Marcus growled, clenching his jaw for a second. "Hoffman gave his orders."

"Who's this kid, anyways," Dom asked, breaking through the tension building between the two Gears. "What's he doing getting assigned to fieldwork?"

"Last name's Duke," Marcus said, grabbing the file off the table next to him and tossing it to Dom and Baird. The blonde gear recoiled from it as if it were an ink grenade, leaving the latino to pick it up and flip it open. "Apparently the kid is some high-up scientific figure, specializes in linguistics and Locust rituals."

"Why would anyone want to specialize in that," Dom asked incredulously, reading the first paper he saw.

"Beats me," Marcus said with a shrug. "He's working on some project for the higher-ups, gotta gather some information first hand."

"He's twenty-four and a _what?_" Dom said, his eyes dancing over the paperwork. "How the hell does this kid already have a _doctorate?_"

"I was one of those whiz-kid types," a voice said from the doorway, effectively startling the three men. One would have thought that the Locusts had gotten the drop on them, the way they reacted. They stared blankly at the slim woman standing in the doorway, dressed in civvies with her arms crossed over her chest. She raised one eyebrow as she scanned the group of men, her eyes resting on Baird. She blinked, then scowled at him, uncrossing her arms and entering the room. "I graduated from college at 16," she continued. "Just received my doctorate last year." She stopped in front of Marcus, holding one slim hand out. "Allena Duke, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Marcus Fenix," the man growled, recovering in time to shake her hand. He was slightly surprised by the strength in her hand, but wasn't given the time to think much more about it as she let go, turning to look at the other two.

"Dominic Santiago," Dom said, stretching his hand out to her. "You can call me Dom."

Allena cracked a small smile for Dom; she had a feeling she would like him. She shook his hand, then swung around to confront the blonde Gear. She raised one eyebrow expectantly, waiting for him to extend his hand and give her a name. The two stared each other down for a moment, and then he shot his hand out with an air of contempt.

"Damon Baird," he said carelessly, as he briefly gripped her hand. They let go at the same time; she only rolled her eyes at him before turning to face Marcus once again.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience this must be causing you," she said, brushing inky black hair out of her eyes. "Chairman Prescott somehow got it into his head that it would be better if I got some hands-on information." The distaste in her voice was obvious; she wasn't happy about this anymore then the members of Delta squad were.

"You any good with a gun," Marcus asked, cutting to the chase. Might as well see how much trouble the kid would be.

"I can shoot," she said uneasily. "I mean, I've been to the range enough times. Its mandatory to go down every couple of months, at the very least." She took a deep breathe, shrugging. "I'm qualified as a medic, if it matters any."

"Can you perform surgery on yourself," Baird asked mockingly, earning a scathing look from Allena that would have had a lesser man cowering under the table. "You're gonna need it, kid."

"You shouldn't be so pessimistic," Dom said, nudging the other man. "We'll look out for you, Miss Duke."

"Its just Allena," she said with a grim smile. "And I appreciate the thought." Dom smiled uncomfortably, then noticed the thin black tank top and jeans she was wearing.

"Are you going out in just that?"

Allena looked down at herself, then shook her head. "They're getting together some armor and gear for me," she said. "I was on my way to grab it, just thought I'd drop by and introduce myself before the big push. I'm accompanying you to Landown," she said, looking nervous and uncomfortable again.

"Well, no shit," Baird muttered, loud enough for Allena to hear. She scowled at him, her irritation evident as the blonde grinned at her.

"I'm going to go and pick up my stuff," she said stiffly, promptly ignoring Baird. "I'll be meeting you guys at the rigs." She turned on her heel and marched out, leaving the men to watch her as the door closed.

"This is going to be one hell of a ride," Dom said, letting out a breathe and rubbing the back of his head.

"Maybe if we're lucky, she'll get shot," Baird muttered, earning a punch in the shoulder from Dom.

"Enough you two," Marcus growled. He shook his head at them, pushing off the table. "We've got work to do."


	2. Beginning of the End

**A/N:** Whooo, chapter two! This one is a bit longer then the first chapter, and has a lot more action. Of course, I'm not very good at writing action, so it kind of feels to me as if it came out rushed. Suggestions would be wonderful ^.^ Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the turret bit. I don't know if Marcus would _really_ ask an untrained scientist to try and man a turret... And if anyone is confused when Ben talks about a "sister," suffice to say that she's a character from another story.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 2: Beginning of the End**

Allena tucked her hair behind one ear irately as she jumped off the King Raven, waving to the pilot over her shoulder before setting off towards the encampment. Of course, she would be almost ten minutes late- it had taken longer then expected for her to get used to the heavy Gear armor- lucky for her, she wasn't one to be out of shape. It felt odd to actually be _in_ the armor- Allena was no soldier, had never intended to be one. And yet here she was, geared up with a Lancer and a Shotgun strapped to her back. They had even gotten her a pair of tags, _just in case_ she died in the field.

She made her way through the encampment, pointed in the right direction by some Gears; she ignored the looks they gave her, knowing exactly what they were thinking-_ she won't last a day._

"Sorry I'm late," she called, spotting Marcus and Dom as they exited a tent. She broke into a jog, catching up with the two men. "There were some problems," she said, flashing them a guilty smile. Marcus just grunted, sounding irritated, and Dom gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Oh, Allena, this is Ben Carmine," Dom said, as a younger, smaller Gear exited the tent. He had a helmet on, which bothered Allena; she liked eye contact. Nevertheless, she pulled on a smile, extending her hand.

"Private Benjamin Carmine, ma'am," he said politely. "Nice to meet you."

"Allena Duke," she said, instantly taken by the young Rookie. "The pleasure is mine." She figured the ride wouldn't be so bad, as long as that _asshole_ Baird wasn't riding on the same rig as them. Luckily for her, she didn't spot the blonde Gear; things were looking up already.

"Come on you three," Marcus growled impatiently. "They aren't going to wait for us." The three jogged to catch up with Marcus, heading towards the rigs.

"So, Sergeant, why Landown," Carmine asked as they walked. "Why not just drill down in Jacinto?" Allena raised an eyebrow, looking to Marcus as she awaited his answer.

"Because Jacinto is the one place they can't dig though, and Landown is the perfect spot to hide 'em on their own turf," Marcus said, sounding irate. Allena just figured he wasn't a very happy person; she looked at the area around them, keeping one ear on the conversation as she watched the activity of the other Gears around them.

"I heard there's a shitload of grubs there, Sergeant."

"More like ten shitloads."

Allena shivered slightly, hoping that Marcus was simply over-exaggerating; _one _"shitload" of grubs wasn't an appealing thought in the least, much less _ten_. Allena spotted a man coming towards them, and couldn't help but raise one eyebrow; he had a thick, graying beard, and a cowboy hat, and probably could have been old enough to be her grandfather. His bulging muscles left little room for her to doubt his abilities, so she held her tongue and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Welcome to the big suck, Sergeant Fenix," the man said, his voice thick with a southern accent. He tipped his hat in greeting, falling into step beside the group. "You ready to hit the road, then?"

"You know it," Marcus said, smirking- it was almost as scary as when he was frowning.

"Then let's go chuck some bullets at them grubs," the man said, almost cheerily- it was like he was talking about going to catch fish or some trivial matter like that. They approached the Assault Derricks- or "Rigs" as they were called- and Allena couldn't help but gape at them. Of course, she had seen pictures and models, had even seen a few from a distance outside of her office window, but she had no idea that they were so _big_.

"What are you doing, Duke, trying to catch flies," Marcus growled, scowling at her. "Get up there." Allena blinked, looking startled.

"_Up_ there? I'm not riding inside," she asked, looking worried.

"I don't see why," Marcus growled. "You need some hands-on intel, might as well get it."

"But, I need information on Locusts, not-" she began, but the bigger man ushered her towards the ladder.

"Up you go," he said, giving her no choice but to climb up. She dragged herself up onto the deck, staring out at the landscape as she moved away from the ladder. It was really breathtaking, she had to admit, despite what the land had been through. She gave a startled cry as the rig began to move, almost knocking her off her feet. She desperately grabbed onto the railing at the side of the deck, clinging to it as she regained her balance.

A sharp squawk in her ear startled the young woman, reminding her of the earpiece she had that connected her to the others' COM channels. She slapped a hand to her ear as the others hauled themselves up and over, listening as well.

"_Oh yeah, name's Dizzy,"_ their driver's voice crackled through the channel. _"And my rig is the sweet little thang Betty. Say hi, Betty." _The horn of the rig honked slightly, as if it were actually capable of any form of thought. It would have been amusing to Allena, had she not been freaking out at the lack of anything to hold on to above deck.

"You a conscript," Marcus asked, as they strolled around the deck. Allena was jealous of the ease of movement the others had, feeling like a landlubber on a ship.

"_I ain't got no choice when we took the lifeboat assistance,"_ Dizzy replied. Allena was aware of the lifeboat assistance program; she didn't know the exact details, except that it was something the COG offered to the Stranded. _"Family got the groceries but Daddy got conscripted. Life's a bitch like that."_ Allena looked out and spotted Landown at the top of a hill; she noted, with a sinking stomach, that it was rather far away, and the rigs were traveling at an absolute _crawl._

"_Delta, Baird here,"_ a familiar, none-too-liked voice squawked in Allena's ear, startling her. She looked around and spotted the rigs on the ridge above, rambling along at just about the same speed. _"Apparently, I'm riding on Marilyn. Yeah, I'll see you at Landown."_ Allena could only smirk at how unhappy the blonde Gear sounded; hating him was becoming her favorite pastime.

"_Yeah, it's go time baby,"_ someone else crowed enthusiastically over the COM link.

"Good hunting guys," Marcus growled into his earpiece; obviously, the men were all close in some way or another. War did that to people, she guessed. "Control, this is Delta, we're on board rig 314 and are heading out now."

"_Roger that, Delta, you're good to go."_

"Good" was hardly the word Allena would have used- the terrain was rough and dangerous looking, and the ridges hardly looked fit to support the weight of the Rigs. She figured she'd have to suck it up and just hang on- she didn't need the others to think she was some spineless little scientist type. Which she was, she had no problem admitting to herself, although admitting it out loud wasn't something she would readily do; her pride was something she refused to compromise.

"How are you holding up there, Miss Duke," the rookie said, catching her attention. She managed a weak smile and hoped that it didn't come across as a rather nasty grimace.

"It's just Allena," she said, trying to straighten up. "I'm… still getting used to this," she admitted. "I've never been within a hundred feet of a rig, not to mention _on top_ of one." The rookie patted her shoulder good naturedly, one hand on his Lancer.

"It'll get better," he said reassuringly. "The view isn't bad."

"Not at all," she said, looking out at the rough landscape. There was a primal beauty in its jaggedness, and probably looked spectacular from the air, although she was pretty sure the KR pilots up above were too busy wrestling their birds into submission to admire the view.

"My mom probably would have liked this place," the young man said, a wistful sound in his voice. "She always loved nature, no matter how mean it looked. I remember, this one time she let a raccoon into the house, it was injured and she felt bad for it. It chased me and Bennet up the stairs, and I swear we locked ourselves in her room for hours. We were convinced it was going to eat us." Allena watched him with an amused expression; while it had been random, the little story about his family had her oddly captivated. To think, things had been so simple once.

"Is Bennet your sister," she asked, as she watched the valley roll by below them.

"Well, kind of," he said, holding his hands up. "It's a really long story. If you saw her with me and my brothers, you wouldn't have pinned her as our sister, but she's closer to us then anything." Allena raised an eyebrow slightly, turning her head to look at him- She was pretty sure if she saw his sister now, the helmet would have prevented her from noting any differences. She shrugged and shook her head slightly, smiling to herself as she looked back out at the landscape.

They talked comfortably for the next couple of hours, as Carmine regaled her with war stories of his childhood, telling her about his sister and three brothers, all of which were Gears, and one of whom was deceased. She listened more then spoke; there wasn't much to share about her family, and anything to say about them wasn't worth saying. He seemed content to ramble on, and she was content to listen.

People had been constantly talking over the COM system the entire ride- maintenance checks, position updates, even the occasional banter passed between pilots, rig drivers, and Gears. It was all so easy and even a little boring, so the next outburst caught the young woman completely off guard.

"_We have Locust contact! Repeat, we have Locust contact!"_

Allena paled noticeably, then grabbed onto the railing as the rig suddenly bucked, something crashing into the ground nearby and causing the ridge to shake fearfully. "Get into cover," she heard Marcus yell, and was only too happy to comply. Allena couldn't help a small yelp as a huge ball of black slammed into one of the King Ravens, causing the bird to explode and rain debris down on the centaurs and rigs below. There were so many shouts in her ear- pilots yelling to copilots, drivers yelling to Gears, cries of despair as yet another King Raven was downed.

"_Our bird just got shellacked,"_ Dizzy shouted over the COM system. The frightened young scientist could only guess that meant something bad- she wasn't exactly in the position to ask any questions right now, and she was sure everyone else was too busy to say anything to her anyways. She clung to the rig as more of the mortars crashed into the ridge and mountains around them, a few even hitting the rigs themselves.

"_Don't let 'em cysts hit Betty! We'll be a bunch o' crispy fried hogs if we let them things get any closer,"_ Dizzy's voice crackled over the COM. Allena watched as Marcus ran up the ramp and mounted the turret, shooting mortars out of the sky like a pro.

"Marcus, reavers," Dom yelled, causing both Allena and the scarred Gear to turn to the left. Allena's eyes widened in horror as she watched a giant creature send a barrage of rockets into the rig only a couple hundred feet in front of them, causing the rig to explode and topple down the side of the mountain in a brilliant blaze. Her terror multiplied as a reaver decided to pull up right alongside their rig, looking to make a crispy barbecue out of them.

"Allena, get out of there," she heard Carmine yell to her, as Marcus swung the turret around to take out the flying beast. Allena scrambled to her feet, trying to scramble across to the other side where Dom and the rookie were. As Ben pulled out his Longshot to try and take out the gunner and driver aboard the reaver, Dom reached out a hand to Allena, his other hand keeping his Lancer carefully trained on the reaver just in case the other Gear missed.

Just as Allena got to them, the rig tilted dangerously to the side, throwing Allena off balance. A startled scream tore from her throat as she slid backwards- luckily for her, Dom was able to reach out and grab her hand, jerking her body to a painful stop. He dragged her to the railing as the rig righted itself again, then took aim and shot at the reaver along with Carmine and Marcus, effectively shooting the creature out of the air.

"_Nice work boys, that takes care of them,"_ Dizzy said over the channel, sounding thoroughly satisfied.

"You guys alright," Marcus asked in his usual growl, coming away from the turret to join them on the deck.

"I'm good," Dom said, wiping his forehead with the back of one large, gloved hand.

"I'm alright, Sarge," Carmine said, sounding a little distressed. "That was intense." Marcus only grunted before turning to look at Allena.

"How are you holding up there, Duke?"

"I'm okay," she said, trying to slow her breathing and prevent herself from hyperventilating. "I just…. I didn't expect that." Marcus gave her a grim smile, a look of something that might have been pity flashing in his eyes. Of course, it could have been a trick of the light; Allena wasn't one to call it.

"That's war for you," he said, unhooking his Lancer from his back. "You better get used to it." She took a deep, shaky lungful of air as he stalked away, then pushed away from the railing and looked ahead. They had lost three rigs, several centaurs, and quite a few King Ravens, but all in all they had done rather well in surviving the attack. She could hear Marcus talking to someone over the Tac/Com; she was getting good at drowning out the conversations that were going on right in her ear. She was so busy ignoring the voices in her head that she was completely caught off guard when the rig suddenly pitched forward, throwing her onto the ground into a rather undignified heap.

"_Hang on up there, boys and girls,"_ Dizzy's voice blared in her ear. Allena scrambled onto her feet, latching onto the hand that Carmine held out to her before she could fall onto her face again. He helped her get to the railing, both of them straining to not fall; the three members of Delta and the scientist clung to the railings for dear life as the rig took on a life of its own.

Dizzy was finally able to bring the rig to a stop outside the ruins of a small town, smoke wafting up from somewhere on the rig.

"Hold on honey, I'm coming," they heard Dizzy say as he climbed out of the rig, sounding genuinely distressed. "Get my back while I patch up Betty, will ya?"

"You got it," Marcus growled. "Let's go, Delta. Duke, you stay up here and stay out of the way." Allena was only too happy to comply, hoping that it would be nice and quiet while Dizzy fixed up the rig.

Of course, the gods weren't nearly so forgiving.

A huge, angry hole opened up in the ground, nasty green fumes that Allena could only guess came from imulsion wafting out of it. The Locusts climbed out of it like nightmares straight from hell, macabre grins spread across their pasty faces as they emerged.

"_Duke, we need someone to man that turret," _Marcus yelled over the Tac/Com, as bullets began to fly from both sides.

"What?" She cried back, her eyes wide as she watched the battle below. "Sergeant Fenix, I sincerely hope you don't expect _me-_"

"_Enough talk, get on the damn turret!"_

"I don't even know how to work it," she said desperately, scrambling up the ramp. She grabbed the handles of the chain gun hesitantly, dragging it down to aim at the pale hulks that came out of the ground. Just as she got ready to fire it (she could only pray that she was going to press the right buttons) a hail of bullets came her way, forcing her to duck. She reached back up and grabbed the handles once more, struggling to drag the gun down before they shot at her again…

Just then, another rig burst through the brush, accompanied by a few centaurs. They began to add to the fray, taking out Locusts as they attempted to flank the squad on the ground. Allena watched from where she was with wide eyes, marveling at how easily the Gears _moved_, at how they made death look like an art form.

"_She's done! Get in!"_

Allena got to her feet as the others scrambled up onto the deck, Marcus yelling for Dizzy to go as soon as he was up. The rig bolted out of there faster then one could say "charging Brumak" and onto a charred, cracked plain, the earth grumbling underneath them as if unhappy about the new weight. Allena refused to look at Marcus; even though she hadn't expected much, she was ashamed at her lack of ability to even _figure out_ the damn chain gun.

"_Delta, control here. I'm detecting some serious seismic activity under your feet."_

Allena peered over the side of the rig, looking down at the ground- she could see angry red slashes in the ground, as if some mighty creature had decided to take its claws to the earth's face. As if on cue, a terrifying roar shook the air, causing Allena's head to jerk up, ice blue eyes wide as they fell on the abomination that was a Brumak.

She had seen enough 3D models to be able to identify what it was, but none of those models had really prepared her to come face-to-face with one. Big, ugly, and bad-ass to boot, the creature roared again, the chains on its massive form shakings as it challenged the rig, blood dripping from it jaws.

"Hold on, Allena," Dom called to the young scientist, as Dizzy revved the engine. She grabbed onto the railing, a scream escaping her throat as her mind raced- _Holy-shit-he's-going-to-ram-it-we're-going-to-die-holy-shit!_

The rig slammed into the Brumak, catching it in the side- the beast toppled to the side, knocked off balance by the formidable bulk of the rig. She almost let out her breathe when she heard a shout that sent her blood running cold- the Locusts had hi-jacked a rig.

She watched in horror as the huge, hulking masses of the Locust invaders threw the bodies of Gears over the side- she could only hope they were dead, wincing as their bodies hit the ground. Of course, all concern for the lives of the other Gears fled from her mind when she realized that the other rig was coming _right at them,_ getting ready to ram into their side.

Allena had braced herself for it, but nothing she did prepared her for the jarring impact- the sound of metal scraping against metal screamed through the air as she was tossed to the ground, as if she weighed next to nothing. She screamed as a giant hook appeared on the railing next to her, followed shortly by massive white hands.

"Allena, you're Lancer," someone shouted to her, sounding far away. She struggled to unhook the heavy weapon as the Locust began to haul himself over, a malicious grin on his face as his eyes fell on the small, trembling form of the young woman- it looked like someone would be getting a nice, hot dinner tonight. Before it could even throw it's leg over, a hail of bullets tore through its chest, knocking it back and over the railing. Someone picked her up from behind and set her on her feet, unhooking her Lancer and shoving it into her hands.

"You gotta be faster then that, kid," Marcus growled, before going back to unloading clips into the faces of any Locust that tried to board. Allena frowned determinedly, trying her damndest not to be afraid as she aimed and squeezed the trigger- of course, Allena couldn't help but be afraid. She wasn't a soldier, she was just a scientist, and this was _so_ not her idea of fun.

"_Delta! Take out that driver!"_

Allena risked a glance ahead and sorely wished she hadn't- there was a bridge up ahead, and unless someone took care of the other rig, and _fast_, they were going to find themselves at the bottom of that ravine _very_ quickly. She felt hope slipping away as the rig bucked and rocked- no way could someone line up a shot in conditions like this!

A loud sound cracked through the air, the tell-tale sound of a Longshot sniper rifle. She watched in awe as the head of the driver suddenly exploded, blood spraying all over the controls. Dizzy was barely able to right the rig as it came to the bridge, sending the other toppling to a fiery doom and taking a handful of Locusts with it.

"Nice shot, kid," Dom called out, and Allena followed his gaze in time to see Carmine give the older Gear a thumbs up. She smiled at him as he turned her way, relief making her legs feel like Jell-o; he nodded in return, before turning to talk to Marcus. She sighed and leaned against the side of the turret, giving her legs a chance to solidify once more. She had known being a Gear was tough, but she had never known simply getting from Point A to Point B was so hazardous. She could only imagine what it was really like on a battlefield.

All coherent thought fled her mind when she heard a sound that was becoming all too familiar, a roar that shook her to her core. The Brumak was coming back for seconds, and if it wasn't mad before, it sure as hell was now. The three Gears on deck opened fire, and Allena turned to scramble back up onto the turret, lunging forward to grab the handles. As she forced the gun over, a salvo of rockets slammed into the Brumak, the creature howling in pain. Several King Ravens swarmed in angrily, ready to take out the Brumak and giving Delta and the rig a chance to get away. The rig rambled on ahead as the birds challenged the Brumak, blowing it to smithereens with a few rockets to its face.

"Duke," Marcus growled from across the deck, startling the young woman. "You alright over there?"

"Just dandy," she said with a smile that was more a grimace. "Although with all due respect, next time I think I'll just ride in the cockpit." The look on his face suggested he dearly hoped there wasn't a _next time_, and he only nodded and turned to talk to the other members of Delta. Allena shook her head and sat down on the ramp that led back down from the turret to the deck as Landown came into view, the jagged ruins breaking the horizon.


	3. Girl About Town

**A/N:** Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter :) Not much to say this time around, except I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. And please review! I'm not sure if I'm doing anything right, and if you guys seriously hate it then you can tell me and I'll just cancel the story. But, since I've gotten either yea or nay, I'll keep on keeping on :)

**Chapter 3: Girl About Town**

"Welcome to Landown, ladies and gents."

Allena shivered slightly as she looked out across the frozen landscape- of_ course_, the higher elevation would have meant it would be colder here in Landown then on the road. She could only be grateful that they had insisted on putting her in the reinforced one-piece that went under her armor- she wasn't complaining about how tight it was anymore, so long as it kept her warm. It probably would have been a good idea to take the helmet they had offered her, too, but _no_, she just had to say no because of course if she wore a helmet, how could she be expected to observe a damn thing? She was learning the hard way that being a sore loser about this whole assignment was coming back to bite her in the ass.

She came off of the turret deck and went to stand beside Carmine, looking at the chilly remains of what had once been a beautiful town. The ice and snow glimmered in the fading sunlight, waiting menacingly for a stray foot or wheel to rumble along over it so that it could trip them up. She shivered again and turned away from the landscape- looking at it was only succeeding in making her colder. She kicked at something on the deck, watching with a satisfied look as it skittered across the deck and over the edge- there were bits and pieces of the enemy scattered all over the deck, ranging from Brumak bits to Locust body parts. It had been a messy ride, to say the least.

She heard an ominous ticking sound way below on the ground and looked over her shoulder in time to see nasty, rodent-like creatures skitter out of the shadows, their target the rig behind their own. She watched in horror as they detonated underneath, sending the rig into the air in a blazing heap. She watched as the remains of the rig shifted, presumably from pieces underneath melting and giving way; suddenly, a large, hulking mass rose from the flames, and a behemoth of a man stepped out of the rubble, brushing dirt off of himself as if nothing had happened.

"Marcus, is that Tai," Dom asked, sounding as incredulous as Allena felt. A shiver of respect ran down her spine; this Tai person, whoever he was, took a whole new meaning to _built like a tank._

"Yeah, told you he was tough to kill," Marcus said gruffly, and Allena could have sworn he was smiling; what she wouldn't have given to be facing him to see _that_. "Come on, let's get down there." He looked back as he made his way towards the ladder, as if expecting her to follow.

"Come on, Duke, you too," he growled. Allena frowned, raising one eyebrow.

"I'm not so sure that's the best idea," she said carefully. She didn't think it was safe for her to be _down_ there, when it had been nearly disastrous up top.

"Let's go," he growled menacingly; and although she didn't want to show it she was more then a bit intimidated. "You said you were a qualified medic, right? Get down there and see if Tai needs any help." While she was sure there was some argument to be had, she figured she should just save her breathe and fell in line behind Carmine to go down the ladder.

"Fate has thrown us together again, eh Marcus?" the mighty warrior said, with an almost serene smile on his face. It looked out of place with the Mohawk and tattoos, but Allena supposed there had been stranger things.

"Looks that way," Marcus replied. "Welcome back to Delta, Tai. Sorry about your squad," he added, with a nod toward the twisted, hulking wreckage that had once been an assault derrick.

"Everything happens for a reason," Tai said warmly; it was hard for her to doubt the warm faith that filled his eyes. She couldn't help but give the massive man a look over, and noticed several cuts and burns on his exposed skin.

"Those are going to need to be checked out," she murmured, not realizing that she had spoken out loud. The man's eyes went to his arms, then up to Allena, startling her as they made eye contact.

"And who might this young warrior be," Tai asked, indicating Allena. She flushed slightly, shaking her head and holding her hands up.

"Oh, no, I'm not a warrior," she said quickly. "I'm just a scientist." Tai raised an eyebrow, and she could only guess what he was thinking; she certainly didn't look like a scientist, all geared up and covered in god knew what.

"Tai, this is Allena Duke," Marcus said, stepping in. "She's a scientist sent down from headquarters to gather some field intel." Allena managed a weak half-smile, shrugging her shoulders awkwardly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Duke," he said, holding a hand out to her. She took it, surprised by the gentleness in those monstrous hands. "I am Tai Kaliso."

"The pleasure is mine," she said. "And you can just call me Allena." She let go of his hand, her eyes instantly going to the injuries on his arms. "Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Go right ahead," Tai said good naturedly, as if he were simply humoring her by letting her examine the injuries. She poked and prodded here and there, making a satisfied noise in the back of her throat.

"Well, you have a few cuts and minor burns, but otherwise your fine," she said, sounding impressed. "Its amazing, after an explosion like that one would expect massive abrasions, and at least a few serious burns-" she stopped herself and looked up to find the members of Delta giving her blank looks. She flushed and let go of Tai's arm, rubbing her arm with one hand. "Suffice to say, you're good to go," she said with a nod of her head. The warrior only chuckled and nodded his thanks to her.

"_What the hell happened to Lola," _Dizzy's voice blared in their ears; the driver didn't sound too happy.

"My rig? We hit some mines. Tickers, I think. The whole area is infested." Dizzy muttered something that must have been rather unpleasant before getting off the channel; the rig behind them rumbled as it waited for them to move. Allena turned to get back on the rig when a small chime caught her attention; she yelped when something materialized out of thin air right next to her, her heart jumping out of her chest.

"Are you okay, Allena," Carmine asked her, sounding worried. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"I'm fine," she replied hastily, one hand over her chest. She scowled in the general direction of the tiny robot; it had surprised her, was all, she hadn't been informed of its presence beforehand. Marcus only chuckled as he turned to face the small robot.

"You got something for me, Jack?"

As if in response, a paper-thin screen folded down, and a live video feed of a pretty, blonde intel officer appeared on the screen.

"_Okay Delta, head to the monument in the center of town. We've estimated that's the best place to drill,"_ she told them in a calm, smooth voice.

"Wilco, control," Marcus said with a nod. "Delta out." He reached up to his earpiece, switching onto the Tac/Com to speak to the rig driver. "You heard her Dizzy, we'll walk you there. Let's go." Allena nodded and turned back towards the rig, causing Marcus to frown severely. "And where do you think your going, Duke?"

"Back on the rig," she said questioningly, turning to look at him over her shoulder. Marcus raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. "You didn't need me to do anything else, did you?"

"We don't have time to waste to wait for you to get on that rig," Marcus growled. "You're coming with us." Allena wilted noticeably; when would they get that she wasn't trained to do this? She sighed and reached back to unhook her Lancer, following Marcus and Dom with Tai and Carmine bringing up the rear.

"Need some help," Carmine asked cheerfully, as she struggled to unhook her Lancer. She nodded, and he unhooked the gun for her, setting it into her hands. "Its tricky, but I'm sure you'll get used to it," he said. If he was trying to comfort her, he failed miserably. She managed a grim smile, her hands tightening on the gun.

"I hope I don't have to get used to it," she told him, and the rookie only nodded.

They made their way through the town, cutting through a building to see if there was any ammo stashed away inside. Allena couldn't help but look around the wrecked building as they proceeded through it; it smelled of mold and mildew, the scent of burnt wood still lingering in the foundation. When she returned her eyes to the front, she almost screamed; luckily, Carmine slapped a gloved hand over her mouth before she could alert the ticker in front of them of their presence. It scuttled off before any of them could take a shot at it, making it obvious that it hadn't seen them.

"What was that," she hissed, as soon as the rookie let his hand slip away from her mouth, her dark blue eyes wide with shock.

"Ticker," Tai said grimly, his dark eyes searching the space in front of them for more. "Locusts use them like landmines," Tai explained. "Better keep your distance."

"_I'm tellin' ya. You gotta clear the way before Betty can come on through. Tickers are ugly, and Betty don't like ugly," _Dizzy told them; Allena would have laughed had she not been terrified of stepping on one of the nasty little rodents. Marcus found a blue ammo container and dragged it out, shelling out whatever was in there and even giving Allena a few extra clips; she didn't think she needed them just yet, seeing as how she had barely fired her Lancer at all, but she took them anyways. Who could say what would happen later?

The group reemerged onto the street, senses on high alert. Only seconds later, an ominous sound filled the air, sending a chill down Allena's spine.

_Click. Click. Click click click._

"Tickers!"

Allena split from the group as tickers came streaming at them from all sides, one of them exploding on the approach. She raised the gun in her hand automatically, aiming as one of them headed towards her. "Shit, shit," she gasped, squeezing the trigger. The recoil effectively knocked her on her butt, but one of her bullets actually found its target and turned the little rodent creature into a fiery ball in two seconds flat. She scrambled to her feet as more came towards her, discovering that shooting backwards while running was not an easy task. She jumped on the hood of a car, her booted feet sliding across the surface- she barely had a second to steady herself before she had to turn and shoot, bracing herself against the recoil. She jumped down as another got too close for comfort and exploded, taking cover behind the car in the nick of time.

She pressed her back to the side of the car as she reloaded, fumbling with the clip before finally succeeding in slapping it home. Just in time, too, as another couple of tickers approached her; with a startled scream she scrambled to her feet, fleeing as the little landmines chased after her.

Marcus caught sight of the fleeing scientist out of the corner of his eye and sighed, turning to help her out. _This kid,_ he thought with a shake of his head, using his shotgun to take out a few of the tickers. Two of them exploded, taking the other two out with them; Allena looked over her shoulder and slid to a stop, noticing they were gone, then gave Marcus a shaky smile. He only rolled his eyes at her and resumed taking out the tickers around him; maybe it would have been better to leave her on the rig. It was too late now, he figured- might as well get the kid a little toughened up and ready for what they would no doubt face in the hollow.

Allena wiped her brow and rejoined the others, checking her ammo as she went. She was surprised to find that she had to reload again; she frowned as she struggled to do it, wondering just how the others did it so smoothly.

"You'll get it, kid," Marcus growled, before turning to face the others. "Let's move, Delta." Allena looked over her shoulder as she hurried to catch up, surprised and a little comforted by the sight of the other rigs, centaurs, and King Ravens following their lead. Jack floated ahead, his little screen folding down to indicate that control had something to say.

"_Delta, KR five-one has reported nemacysts in your local air space. Can you confirm?"_ Allena tilted her head up with the others, but she skies looked relatively clear, even to her untrained eye.

"Nothing in sight yet Control, but we'll keep an eye out. Delta out," Marcus growled, looking concerned about something or other. The group continued on through the ruined town; Allena shivered, feeling like they were walking through a graveyard.

"I remember when they took Landown during the Winter of Sorrow," Tai said grimly, clutching his shotgun. "It was a bad omen."

"Crazy to think that somewhere this close to Jacinto was under Locust control for so long. You'd think that we would have launched this assault years ago," said Dom, looking at the wreckage with a weary eye.

"I'm sure the COG had their reasons," Marcus said in his usual growl. "Just probably weren't good ones." Allena frowned slightly, but held her tongue; she was sure the Gear had more then his fair share of reason to dislike the COG. From what she had seen, the men had it notoriously tough, even before the operation had begun.

More tickers emerged from the surrounding wreckage, causing Delta to scatter. Allena ducked behind a crate as she drew her Lancer, popping over to shoot one of the little landmines; the ticker burst into fire, spraying the area with blood and flesh. She looked up in time to see Dom kick one of them, sending it into the sky were it combusted harmlessly. The others took to this practice as well; it conserved ammo, and the others seemed to get a kick out of it (no pun intended.) Allena stuck to using her Lancer; with her luck, one would explode on her foot.

"_Ain't that the berries, no more tickers! Betty's a happy lady,"_ Dizzy crowed over the Tac/Com, as Tai took out the last of the little creatures. Marcus surveyed the area, then motioned for Delta to fall in behind him, pushing forward. Allena fell into step behind Dom, feeling an odd sense of victory looking at the mangled, wrecked bodies of the tickers.

"Hey, what are those," Allena asked suddenly, breaking through the silence that had settled over the group. The others followed her pointed finger into the sky, to a handful of blobs floating in the air. "They look like balloons."

"Yeah, well you wouldn't want those balloons at a party," Marcus growled, as Jack floated on over once more.

"_Delta, clear out all nemacyst activity. We have more King Ravens inbound and the birds need some air space."_

"Wilco control. You heard her, Delta," Marcus growled, hefting his Lancer up. "Fire at will." As they began sending rounds into the air, the mortars began raining down on them, forcing the group into cover in front of an abandoned gas station. Allena tucked herself behind some sandbags next to Dom, figuring that her aim wasn't up to tackling the airborne targets. Of course, there was more then enough to keep her busy closer to home- just as Delta began to take shots at the mortars, Locusts began to emerge, swarming around the gas station. She paled at the sight of one of the huge, pale monsters mounting a troika; she ducked with Dom just in time to avoid a hail of bullets to the face.

"Oh, my god," she breathed, trying to calm herself down. "Oh, why couldn't he have just let me stay on the rig?" Dom chuckled next to her as he aimed and fired, ducking back down to reload.

"Come on, Allena, you got this," he said encouragingly, before popping back up to take another shot. "Yeah! Got him!" Dom sunk back down under cover as bullets rained down on them again, pinning them behind cover.

"_Control, Delta here,"_ she heard Marcus call over the Tac/Com. _"We're still under heavy fire from our left flank."_ Heavy fire was putting it lightly, as the Locusts kept Delta effectively pinned behind their cover.

"_Centaur four-nine moving into position! Opening fire!" _Suddenly, a loud boom shook the air, the ground where the Locusts were standing exploding under their feet. Seconds later, a huge centaur rammed through the barricade that some Locusts were standing on, effectively tossing the pale hulks into the air and killing them.

"_Come on Delta, show me some love,"_ the man from before crowed over the Tac/Com. Even Allena couldn't hid her grin as they stood back up; the man's enthusiasm was contagious, really.

"Copy that, Cole, thanks for the assist," Marcus said, giving a name to the man. The small group that made up Delta Squad reformed, exploring the destroyed gas station as they waited for the rigs to catch up.

"_Looks like you don't need me here anymore,"_ a feminine voice said over the Tac/Com, as a King Raven circled over their heads. _"Control, Delta is clear."_

"_Roger that, KR five-one,"_ the woman from control replied. _"Rigs need CAP near Barrington Square, over."_

"_Roger. See you on the other side, Delta!"_

"Thanks KR five-one. Cole, we'll see you on the other side."

"_You know it baby!"_ Cole crowed over the Tac/Com, as the Centaur rumbled away. Marcus turned back to the group, one hand pressed to his ear.

"Control, how much further until the drill zone," Marcus asked, one hand pressed to his ear as they walked.

_"Close, just beyond the tunnel ahead." _They all looked up and spotted the tunnel in mention- it was humongous, big enough for the rigs to fit through. "_Remember you Grindlifts are calibrated to dig from the exact location of the town central monument. You're going to have to back in the trucks to get them properly aligned."_

"Wilco, Delta out," Marcus growled, before turning to the others. "Lets get moving, Delta." The tunnel loomed over their heads ominously, the darkness thick and foreboding. Allena was a big girl, but she wasn't a fan of the dark.

"Could be anything in here. Keep an eye out Delta," Marcus called from somewhere in the darkness. It was rather disconcerting, but there wasn't much to be done for it.

"Ever wonder why they don't just give us flashlights?" Carmine asked, kicking something in the darkness.

"Kids got a point," Dom said reasonably from right next to Allena. Not that she could see him, but that was where he had been when they entered the tunnel.

"Might versus Light," Tai said easily. He sounded by far the most comfortable in the shadows.

"Meaning?..." Dom inquired.

"That I'd take an extra gun over a flashlight any day," Tai explained. It was a good philosophy, Allena supposed, but personally she would have taken the flashlight. The group continued on cautiously in silence, more focused on not tripping then making conversation.

"_Damn, it's darker then a rat's ass in here,"_ Dizzy commented over the Tac/Com system, breaking the silence. _"Hold up, let me light up Betty's titties." _Light flooded the tunnel from behind the group, casting long shadows along the ground as the rig rumbled over wrecked cars. Allena felt a little better now that they had some light; all good feelings fled when a familiar _click-click_ filled the air in front of them.

"Ah, shit," Marcus growled, as the little rodent creatures came scurrying into the light cast by the rig. "Don't let them near the rig!" Gunfire filled the tunnel as the Gears shot at the tickers, desperately trying to keep them away from the rig as it crawled forward. Allena was reduced to playing dodge ball with tickers; her very limited skills were not up for shooting in the dark. Delta pushed through the tunnel, the darkness thickening as they got further from the rug. "Dizzy, we could use some light," Marcus growled, as he shot at another ticker.

"_Don't worry, I got you're back like a butt crack," _Dizzy replied. The rig rumbled forward, pancaking cars underneath it. The light fell onto more tickers, the creatures bristling as they marched towards Delta and their doom.

"That should be the last of them," Marcus said into the darkness, as Dom took out the last of the tickers. The silence that enveloped them was enough confirmation for the small group, and Allena gave a small sigh of relief. Things were starting to look up once more; she could even see that the darkness around them wasn't quite so thick as they pushed forward. A small, relieved smile touched her lips as the end came in sight.

Of course, things were never that easy.

Just as they began to approach the exit, a reaver dropped out of the sky, the eight-legged creature bristling as it loomed over them.

"Reaver, look out," Marcus yelled, opening fire with his Lancer. Dom grabbed her and dragged her behind a car, as the sound of gunfire filled the small tunnel. The reaver screamed as the bullets hit it, skittering around as the gunner opened fire on them. Dom dropped down to reload; Allena dared to glance over the cover of the car, her eyes big as she watched the giant creature assault Delta Squad. She felt her blood freeze in her veins as the creature turned to face her, bloodlust in the eyes of the gunner and driver.

A large, gloved hand grabbed her by the back of her armor and yanked her down, saving her face from a rather nasty meeting with a hail of bullets.

"You gotta keep down," Dome told her, before going back up to let loose a hail of fresh rounds on the creature's hide. "Golden rule of the COG, kid, take cover or die."

It was a long fight; several hundred rounds of ammo (Allena ended up giving Dom the extra ammo Marcus had given her) and a disgruntled Delta team later and the giant monster toppled to the ground with a sound like a massive sigh of resignation.

"Took long enough," Marcus growled, as the rookie went and nudged the dead beast with his boot. "Let's move, Delta, we're almost there." The small group moved around the dead beast and emerged into the blinding sunlight, the rig rumbling along right behind them.


	4. Shock and Awe

**A/N:** Hey everyone, I'm back :) I took some liberties with this chapter- I don't think the drivers were supposed to be going down in the lifts, but... I needed a lift partner for Allena :sweat: I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a short one but it's full of action and all those goodies :D

Oh, and I started holiday break today. Yay for the holidays! I hope you guys have a wonderful time :)

**Chapter 4: Shock and Awe**

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Allena said, gently waving Carmine off as she unsteadily got back to her feet. The rush of adrenaline that had powered her through the tunnel was beginning to wear off, and it was starting to show. "I just tripped over something, is all." The rookie nodded, backing away a little reluctantly.

"If you need any help, just ask, okay," he said brightly. Allena was sure under that helmet he was offering her a smile. "Sarge puts a mean pace, sometimes its hard even for me to keep up." Allena just nodded, trudging on after the others. She just wanted to get this mess over with, get down into the hollow and get whatever information that Prescott wanted her to get, and bug out of there and get back to the relative safety of her office.

Out of nowhere, a loud whistling filled the air, as an orange ball flew into the air. Allena watched with eyes wide as it broke into a dozen different pieces, raining down on the street in front of them.

"Mortars," Marcus growled, as the ground shook underneath them. "Dom, you take Tai and Allena up through the motel. Rook, you're with me."

The group split up, Dom leading the other two over to a building that looked ready to collapse.

Dom was the first one there, and flattened the door with a giant kick. Gunfire met them immediately; Allena ducked behind the wall as Dom and Tai charged in, spraying the area with quickly cleared out the room and progressed forward to the huge double doors that led to the balcony. Dom and Tai kicked it down together, and Dom rolled forward and found cover behind some old crates, Tai moving through the doorway to get into the action. Allena hung back, unsure of if she would be able to move quick enough to get into cover before they turned her into Swiss cheese- better to not take any chances. She fired around the corner, making a frustrated sound in the back of her throat as she kept missing.

She felt her heart skip a beat as she heard the click of an empty gun; Dom cursed, putting the Lancer away and producing his shotgun. "We need to finish these guys off, and fast," Dom shouted. Tai rose up and launched himself over a barricade, yelling as he charged at one of the drones. Before Allena could even blink, the sound of a chainsaw ripped through the air; seconds later, Tai's bayonet ripped through the drone in a spray of blood and bone. Dom covered him, jumping up and introducing a drone's face to the end of his shotgun before blasting it out of existence.

As they cleared out the balcony, Allena scanned for any sign of ammo. It would be total _balls_ if they had fought all this way, wasted all that ammo, just to come away empty handed. Luckily, there was a box tucked away in a corner, the edge visible behind a stack of crates. She figured it had to have been supplies, from back when the COG had still been fighting for control of the city. As soon as the balcony was clear, she pointed it out to Dom; he gave her a grateful smile before going over with Tai to reload.

As the men reloaded, the young woman ventured out onto the roof, looking around at the mess that had been made. In the middle of all the blood and bits, something silver glinted at her- she crossed over to examine it and let out a low whistle. She clipped her Lancer to her back and leaned over to examine it, hands on her hips.

"This is a pretty big gun," she said, nudging it with the toe of one boot. Dom came over to investigate, slipping a fresh clip into his Lancer as he looked at it.

"Ah, that's not a gun," he said, clipping his Lancer to his back and kneeling down next to the huge object. "It's a mortar launcher." Tai came over to where they were sitting, reloading Lancer. Just as they got ready to go, a mighty growl shook the air around them. Allena felt the blood drain from her face as she looked up at Dom. In unison, the two looked towards the tunnel just across from the building they were crouched upon, an uneasy feeling settling in their guts as a familiar sound tore through the air.

"_Ah, shit, it's a Brumak!"_ Marcus spat over the Tac/Com, confirming their worst fears.

"_Oh hell, he gonna try and molest my Betty,"_ Dizzy said, bringing the rig to a stop a few hundred meters back.

"Stand back, you two," Dom shouted, as he grabbed the mortar. "Marcus, you want me to get him?"

"_Wait for him to get out of the tunnel, then nail that bastard."_

Waiting was tense, to say the least- Allena felt like she was on the edge of loosing it. After what seemed like ages but was really only a few seconds, the beast emerged from the tunnel, howling to the sky to mark its arrival.

"_Now, Dom, now!"_

Dom fired the mortar, a loud _boom_ tearing through the air as the mortar round was discharged. Allena watched, in a sort of macabre wonder, as the rocket sailed up into the air above the Brumak, and then burst into a dozen different pieces before raining down on the creature. Tai opened up fire on the creature as the mortar round hit the Brumak, and Allena could see Marcus and Carmine joining in across the way. The Brumak screamed in obvious pain as the mortar rounds and bullets dragged it down, but still it kept coming. A sudden, startling fear shot through Allena, something she had failed to realize before- _it was coming right at them._

She found herself reaching back for her Lancer to copy the others around her, desperation and a healthy dose of fear flooding her system. She jerked the Lancer free and brought it up, sighting in on the considerable hulk of the beast before she opened fire. She got some small, surprising amount of glee from watching her bullets trace through the air and come in contact with the monster. She was sure that the bullets felt like nothing more then mosquito bites to the monster, but still she continued to fire, the bullets slamming into the ugly, folded flesh of the Brumak.

A might blast from right next to her almost knocked her off her feet- Dom had managed to reload the Mortar, letting another shot off into the air. Allena dropped behind the wall just as the rounds split and impacted with the Brumak, exploding on contact. This time, the monster went down with the rain of mortar rounds, one last, dying scream escaping it's mouth before its considerable hulk settled to the ground.

"Nice shot," Tai said approvingly, as Dom set the Mortar Launcher down. He offered the man a strained smile, then turned and gave Allena a nudge.

"Good shooting," he said jokingly. "Now that you can shoot a Brumak, let's work on the drones." Allena rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the smile that touched her face.

"I told you, I'm not trained for this," she said, holding her Lancer loosely in her hand. "At least I hit him."

"We'll make a rookie out of you yet," he said with a smile. "You should probably reload though." She quickly looked at her Lancer, seeing that she did need to reload; they waited for her to put in a fresh clip, and then boarded the rig as it rumbled to a stop next to them. It was wide enough to span the narrow road, letting both groups that made up Delta get onto the rig.

"_Welcome back, everyone, and good job,"_ Dizzy crowed enthusiastically over the Tac/Com. _"Mmhmmm, smell that Brumak barbecue!"_

"Everyone good," Marcus inquired with a deep growl. Everyone gave him the thumbs up, and he reached one hand up to his ear. "Alright, Dizzy, we're good to go up here." As if in response, the rig jerked to life under their feet, rolling through the street. They came upon a sight that chilled even Allena, and had adverse effects on the men around her.

"Damn," Marcus growled, his hands tightening on his Lancer.

"Talk about a graveyard," Dom said with disgust from beside him.

"_Dirty grub shit all over the place,"_ Dizzy snorted, the hate in his voice obvious. _"They ain't got no respect for the dead."_

"A lot of good soldiers from the Pendulum Wars are buried here," Marcus said grimly; Allena was surprised that the gun in his hands hadn't been shattered with how tightly he was holding it. "We sure could use those men now." There was a moment of tense silence, and then Marcus was lifting a hand to his ear, turning his back to the scene before them. "Control, this is Delta, we've reached the drill zone."

"_Roger that Delta, what's you're Launch status?"_

"_We're getting the lifts in position now, as long as Delta covers my ass,"_ Dizzy cut in. Marcus looked slightly irritated for a moment, then shrugged, with a _what can ya do_ look on his face.

"_Uhh… Right. Roger that. Control out."_

The Gears onboard the rig wandered about the deck a bit; the silence didn't sit well with any of them, Allena could tell. It was like something bad was getting ready to happen. As if on cue, the ground began to shake, and the asphalt crumbled away to reveal a large, angry hole, Locusts pouring out from the underground.

"Is this the ten shitloads you were talking about Sergeant?" Carmine yelled, as they all took cover.

"What do you think," Marcus growled from besides Allena, raising his Lancer. "Hit 'em hard, Delta!"

"_Make sure they don't hit Betty and the girls, otherwise this mission is done,"_ Dizzy shouted; Allena could hear the sounds of levers being pulled frantically in the background before Dizzy got off the channel. Delta opened up fire on the Locusts below, the Gears on the rigs nearby pitching in to help.

"Dammit, they keep coming!" Dom yelled, sounding frustrated as more Locusts began pouring out from behind the buildings and monuments. Bullets cut through the air from both sides, and the sound of bullets pinging off the rigs filled Allena's head.

"_Shit, we lost our driver! Baird, get the lifts going!" _Allena head Cole shout over the Tac/Com. She prayed desperately that Dizzy wouldn't get hit, sending a spray of bullets into the fray.

"_Delta, control, you must deploy now! Repeat, deploy now, we're taking too many casualties!" _The usually calm intel officer sounded distressed; Allena could hear the frustration in her voice. The news she brought chilled her to the core; she looked up at Marcus helplessly as he cursed sharply.

"Dizzy, we have to go, now!" Marcus shouted, one hand slapped to his ear. He fired his Lancer one handed as he waited tensely for a reply, growling in the back of his throat as his bullets caught a drone in the face.

"_Drills are ready! Get your asses back here, Delta," _Dizzy shouted, his voice crackling over the Tac/Com. They all broke for the grind lifts, ducking low to avoid the steady hail of bullets the Locusts sent at them.

"Delta, into the grind lifts," Marcus shouted, as the approached the open grind lifts. "Let's go, two by two!"

"Come on now, Miss Duke, you're ridin' with me," Dizzy shouted, waving Allena over to a grind lift. She jogged over to where he was, clipping her Lancer to her back. "In you go, ladies first," the grizzled driver said, ushering her in. She took a seat in the grind lift, and lifted her chin as he yanked the harness down over her chest, locking it in place.

Just as he was about to climb in, there was an explosion of dirt and rock only a couple hundred meters away. Allena's eyes widened as a large, lean Locust emerged from the earth, screaming into the air.

"What in blazes is that," Dizzy said in disbelief, his eyes as big as Allena's. The pair watched in horror as the screaming creature jumped onto a Centaur; Gears ran for cover as it presented a staff with chainsaws at each end. With an ear-piercing screech, it sawed cleanly through the tank, the two halves collapsing on each other before the centaur exploded. The Locust jumped off of the tank before it combusted and landed on the ground, a feral growl tearing from its throat.

"Where are you going," Allena asked, her voice coming out as a high pitched squeak as Dizzy jumped out of the grind lift. The screaming Locust jumped onto the deck of the rig, screaming a challenge out at the Gears.

"You'll have to go down by yourself, sweetheart," Dizzy shouted over his shoulder. "You're grind lift will come down near Marcus and Dom's, don't you worry now!"

"Wait," Allena cried, panic sinking its teeth into her as Dizzy charged the beast. The grind lift began to close around her, red lights flashing, and the panic beast gave her a good, hard shake; the last thing she saw before the grind lift sealed itself shut was Tai charging the chainsaw-wielding Locust, shouting to match the creature's howls.

"Oh, no, no, no," she breathed, her eyes searching the interior of the grind lift frantically. There was some small, flickering hope that there was a button, a switch, _something_ that would stop the grind lift. "Oh, shit," she choked out, as the grind lift began to shake. She struggled to reach up to her ear, tapping onto the Tac/Com channel. "Marcus, Marcus! Dizzy got out of the grind lift, what do I-"

A scream tore through her throat as the grind lift suddenly launched itself down, slamming her into the harness. Her head snapped back and hit the wall behind her, a small, startled gasp of pain escaping her lips. She grabbed the harness desperately, bracing herself as the grind lift ricocheted off rocks and burrowed into the earth.

After was seemed an eternity, the lift came to a terrible, shuddering halt, the sound of crunching earth filling the tube before silence stole over, leaving an uncomfortable ringing sound in her ears. She stumbled out of the grind lift as the harness came up and the door slid apart, falling to her hands and knees as she tried to reorient herself. She lifted her face to look up at where she was, her eyes widening at the enormous cavern laid out before her.

"Allena, we're not in Jacinto anymore," she murmured to herself in a sort of dazed awe as she got to her feet, reaching back for her Lancer.


	5. A Bird in the Hand

**A/N: **Hey guys, back with another update! I hope you all enjoyed your holiday :) This chapter's ending bothers me some; if anyone has any suggestions for me, I'd be glad to hear them. Other then that, enjoy this chapter, and thanks for sticking around!

**Chapter 5: A Bird in the Hand**

"Control, this is Allena Duke, do you copy? Control? Hello?" Allena waited tensely, her hand pressed to her ear as she leaned against her grind lift. "Well, shit," she breathed, dropping her hand back to her Lancer. She had no idea where she was in comparison to anyone else, or if anyone else had made it, for that matter. _Don't think like that, Allena, if __**you**__ survived, then why in God's name would battle-hardened, combat-ready Gears not make it down here?_

If they had, now would be a brilliant time for some of them to show up.

Allena hesitantly came out from behind the grind lift and peered down the path, stepping forward and hiding behind a massive stalagmite. She couldn't see _anyone,_ human or otherwise. She deemed it safe enough and scampered to the next stalagmite, taking cover and checking if the coast was clear; better safe than sorry. She snuck over to the next stalagmite and pressed her back against it, lifting one hand to her ear.

"Marcus," she hissed over the Tac/Com. "Marcus, are you down here?"

Silence. Well, _shit._

She cautiously continued on, realizing that hiding behind every piece of cover she came to was getting her nowhere quickly. Her hands tensed around her Lancer, she went deeper into the Hollow, her heart beating loud enough to give her away, she was sure. She froze when she heard the sound of voices approaching; they certainly were _not_ human voices. She ducked behind a stalagmite as four Locust drones came around the corner, each carrying a lethal Hammerburst in their hands.

_Well shit._

She waited tensely, holding her breath until her lungs were set to burst, and even then it wasn't enough. As they got right alongside her, nothing but a thick stone stalagmite right in-between them, she willed her heart to stop beating, just for a moment, so that they wouldn't hear it and find her. She hardly dared to let the air slide out from between her lips even when they were far enough not to hear; if they found her, she'd be dead for sure.

She tentatively stepped out from behind the stalagmite as the small Locust patrol slipped out of sight, taking a deep breath before she could suffer the effects of oxygen deprivation. Her heart froze in her chest, all coherent thought processes shutting down, as a heavy, gloved hand clamped down over her mouth. She weakly tried to escape, trying to pry the hand away, reaching for her Lancer, and thinking that this was the worst way to die _ever_.

"Hey, relax kid, or they're going to hear us."

Allena ceased her struggling as that familiar voice hissed in her ear; she was so relieved that it didn't even bother her that it was the very _last_ voice she wanted to hear.

"You scared me," she hissed furiously, as he let her go. She turned to face him, her eyes blazing despite how pale she was. "You couldn't just tell me you were there like a _normal_ person?"

"If I had snuck up on you, you would have screamed," he said with a smirk. She had the sudden, desperate urge to slap that smirk right off his face, but she contented with clenching her hands at her sides. "Didn't want your little friends there to come back for a look-see." She scowled at him, then looked beyond him.

"Is there anyone with you," she asked, her voice still soft. He nodded, looking over his shoulder.

"My jump mate, Tanner," he replied, turning sky blue eyes back to her. "What about you?"

"Dizzy jumped out before we got going," she said, her stomach twisting slightly as she thought about him. Oh, god, she had totally forgotten about Dizzy. What had happened to him? "Where exactly are we?"

"Hell if I know," he snorted. She glared at him; he gazed coolly on back. "Our Grind lifts went off-course. Our driver screwed up the controls before he kicked the bucket, and I didn't realize it before we got on."

"Okay, well obviously that doesn't help us any," she said, feeling angry and frustrated. Someone must have really hated her; it was bad enough that she was stuck in the Hollow, separated from her squad, but she was stuck with the _one_ Gear who got under her skin. Someone had it out for her, she just knew it.

"We need to find the others," she said distractedly, turning her back to him. "Where's Tanner?"

"Right here," a young, brown-haired Gear said, jogging up to them. "Private Tanner Sigma, ma'am."

"Allena Duke," she returned, offering him a strained smile. Now wasn't the best of times for formalities, and both of them knew it. "Have either of you gotten in contact with anyone?"

"We had a line with Cole when we got out of the grind lifts, but we haven't heard anything from him or anyone else since," Tanner said grimly.

"Shit," Allena breathed.

"You're starting to sound like Marcus," Baird retorted. "Come on, if we keep going we'll find the others." She scowled at the back of his head, then followed after him, heading along the winding path.

"The ecosystem down here is amazing," she said, more to herself then anything. Long, mushroom-shaped plants bobbed at the base of stalagmites as they passed, letting of a soft green glow. She saw a group of little bugs skittering along the ground; their elliptical bodies were barely the size of her thumb. She kneeled down and placed her hand palm-down in their path; one or two of them skittered over her fingers, their antennae twitching erratically.

"Hey, come on, we don't got all day down here," Baird said irately from up the path. Allena looked up and scowled at him, then got to her feet and jogged to catch up. The continued up the narrow pathway; Baird signaled for them to stop at a corner, and Tanner went ahead to make sure it was clear. Allena carefully went over to the edge of the path, peering over the edge. She instantly wished she hadn't; the distance to the ground below was enough to make her stomach drop. Something caught her eye on a ledge below her, causing her to lean forward slightly to investigate…

She had totally forgotten that she was about twenty pounds heavier then usual, and gravity had a tighter hold on her.

With a startled gasp, she fell forward, her Lancer tumbling out of her hands. Her hands grabbed for something to stop her fall- and in turn, something grabbed her hand, jerking her to a painful stop. She looked up, her eyes wide with fear, as her body swung in the air for a moment.

"I can't take my eyes off you for a second, can I," Baird asked sarcastically, a scowl on his face as he pulled her up, using his body as leverage. She found a foothold on the cliff face and pushed herself up, both of them falling onto the pathway side by side.

"I'm sorry," she breathed, pushing herself off her stomach and into a sitting position. He sat up, running a hand through his blonde spikes.

"Christ, what were you trying to do," he snapped, his blue eyes icy. He got to his feet, dusting his armor off irately. Allena frowned, pushing herself up onto her own feet.

"It wasn't like I was trying to fall over," she said, her voice shaking slightly from the adrenaline and fear. "I said I was sorry, okay?" She turned her back to him, rubbing a hand over her face as she tried to compose herself. She felt like such an _idiot,_ and he wasn't making her feel any better about it.

"You dropped your Lancer," he asked, sounding incredulous. Allena closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. _Well, no shit Sherlocke,_ she thought, but bit down on her tongue to refrain from saying anything nasty. It wasn't exactly the best idea to piss off the person who was protecting her.

"It slipped out of my hands when I fell," she said flatly, turning to look at him with a scowl on her face. He snorted and muttered something under his breath, then did something that completely caught her off guard- he reached back and took his Lancer off his back, handing it to her.

"Take this," he said gruffly, dropping it into her hands. "I can use my pistol until I find something else."

"No, I really don't need it," she said, her surprise evident as she fumbled for words. "I mean, you're probably a better shot, I can just-"

"Look, just take it," he said, rolling his eyes. She took a deep breath, then nodded, looking down at the gun.

"Thanks," she said, and looked up at him and smiled, thinking that maybe he wasn't so bad. He shrugged, smirking at her.

"Yeah, well, if you die down here, it sure as hell ain't gonna be my fault."

Or maybe not.

As Allena bristled up, a snappy retort on her lips, something crackled over the com system, startling them both.

"_Hey, Corporal, do you copy?"_

Baird smirked at her as he lifted a hand to his hear. "Yeah, what's up Tanner?"

" _I just got in contact with Omega-seven. They're just up ahead, do you want me to come back and get you guys or go on ahead and meet up with the others?" _Baird pondered this, a thoughtful expression on the blonde gear's face.

"You go ahead, Tanner," Baird finally said, looking around them. "We'll catch up. I'll take Allena around so that she can get the information she needs."

"_Wilco, I'll see you in a bit."_

Baird let his hand drop, turning to face Allena. "Alright, here's the plan, we'll get you're data, then we'll rendezvous with the other teams and see if someone will get you to an extraction point." She raised one eyebrow, a look of confusion flashing across her pale face.

"What," she asked, blinking. "Hey, wait a second, that's not going to be enough."

"What do you mean," he asked, turning to look up the path ahead of them. "Aren't you down here to collect soil samples or something useless like that?"

"One, my work isn't useless," she said, her temper flaring dangerously. She was so _sick_ of all the people who didn't think her work was important just because they'd rather kill everything on sight… "And two, I'm down here to collect information on the Locust. If I wanted to collect soil samples, I wouldn't have traipsed down into the center of the earth, risked my _life_, and gotten myself stuck with an arrogant ass like _you_." She pushed her hair out of her eyes, then shoved past him angrily as he turned to face her, determined to get the information with or without him.

"Hey, hold it," she heard him call after her. She ignored him, her hands tightening around her Lancer. _Of all the chauvinistic, idiotic people to be stuck with…_

She came around the corner, her mind dark with rather unsavory thoughts. She came to a stop when bullets tore into the stone wall next to her head, a startled scream escaping from her lips. She dove behind cover as bullets rained down on her, the grunts and growls of Locust filling the air.

"Allena," she heard Baird yell, followed by a sharp curse. She pressed her back against the cover she had found, fumbling with her Lancer for a moment. She took a deep breath, biting her lip, then popped up and sent a spray of bullets at the Locust patrol that had attacked them; she had to duck back down before she could see if she had done any real damage.

"_Can you get back to my position?"_

The small voice in her ear caused her heart to jump out of her chest, startling her. "Um, not really," she said, gritting her teeth as she fired again. "I'm pinned down! You should have just kept your Lancer, I'm no good at this!"

"_Dammit. Hold on, get down!"_

Allena ducked behind the cover as instructed, wondering just what he had in mind. _Can't exactly go in gun's blazing against five Locusts with a pistol,_ she thought, her eyes searching the outcropping for the blonde Gear. Suddenly he came around the corner, and Allena had a split second to recognize the small object in his hand before he cocked his arm back and threw it, sending it sailing through the air.

She hunkered down deeper as the grenade hurtled towards the patrol; there was shouts of confusion on the Locust end, and then the grenade exploded, the ground trembling as the patrol was demolished. Baird slowly emerged from around the corner, kneeling down next to the young woman as she sat up, leaning her head back and trying not to hyperventilate.

"You good," he asked almost mockingly. Allena scowled at him, swallowing hard.

"I'm fine," she managed sharply, taking deep, shaky breathes. Baird smirked at her, before looking at the place that the Locusts had fallen at.

"I'm going to look for a weapon to use," he said, his eyes already searching the ground. "You can just stay here and… do whatever you need to do." Allena closed her eyes, wondering if there was a place to shoot him where it wouldn't effect him too much. She sighed and shifted slightly, then opened her eyes. For a moment, she was confused; hadn't Baird gone to find a weapon? It took only a second for her to realize that it wasn't Baird standing over her.

"Stupid women," Baird muttered, as he searched the bits of armor and flesh for a hammer burst. This just sucked; he was separated from his squad _and_ stuck on babysitting duty. He had known from that first meeting in the briefing room that Allena Duke was going to be trouble; women were generally good for nothing else.

He kicked aside a piece of hulking white flesh, what might have once been a chest, and found exactly what he was looking for underneath, like the last Christmas present underneath the tree. "That's what I'm talking about," he said with a grin, checking the ammo. He turned to head back and fetch the little scientist- she was probably still getting over her heart attack from the firefight- and stopped stock still, his jaw dropping slightly.

A Locust was standing over her. _Of all things._

"Shit," he yelled, bringing the Hammerburst up and sighting in on the Locust as it slowly and painfully brought up a Hammerburst. He sighted in on the monster's considerable hulk, but before he could pull the trigger the sound of bullets tore through the cavern.

"Shit!"

Not that he cared too much, personally, but if she was dead Marcus and Hoffman would give him hell for it.

He kept his gun up, waiting for the Locust to turn to take him out- then lowered the gun, confusion flickering across his face as the drone toppled over. He cautiously approached the chunk of rock, coming around it with his Hammerburst up.

To his surprise, he found the scientist with her back pressed against the rock, the end of her Lancer still smoking.

She whipped the gun around as he kneeled down, her dark blue eyes wide and her heart-shaped face pale from shock. He brought his hands up, showing that he wouldn't hurt her.

"Easy, easy," he said, reaching one hand out to turn the muzzle of the gun away from him. "Christ, don't point that thing at me." She lowered the gun shakily, taking a deep breath.

"Sorry," she said, closing her eyes for a moment. Baird snorted, ready to come back with some snappy reply- he was who he was, after all. He closed his mouth when he noticed the blood smeared across her cheek and running down her neck.

"Did it shoot you," he asked, reaching out to touch the blood. She flinched away from his hand like an injured animal, her eyes still wide. She looked down and lifted a hand to her neck, looking at the blood on glove as she pulled her hand away.

"No, it's blood from the Locust," she said, refusing to look at the corpse only inches away from them. "It fell on top of me after I shot it- the blood must have spilled all over me." She got to her feet, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes with one trembling hand. "We should go."

He had to admit, for a moment he was impressed with the girl. Most women he knew- those who hadn't been Gears- would have been a mess after an encounter like that. She was pale and shaking, yes, but she didn't look like she was going to break down into tears anytime soon.

The two continued to move, with Baird checking on the girl every once in a while- she looked like she was hanging in there alright, which made his job easier. Everything went reasonably well- she was quiet, there were no more patrols, everything was peachy- until they came to a bridge of sorts, the path extending through the air. Paths crisscrossed underneath the bridge, and under the farthest one down was at least fifty feet of empty air before the bottom. It was a long way to fall.

Baird had started across the bridge when he noticed that Allena wasn't following him. He turned and looked at her, an irritated expression on his face.

"Well, are you coming?"

Allena stared at the bridge, her eyes wide. She had been feeling dislocated from everything- like this was merely a dream, and she was the dreamer. Things would have probably been fine if her astounding fear of heights hadn't cut through the lingering shock, causing her to freeze at the top of the bridge.

"Well, are you coming?"

She looked up at Baird, shaking her head. "I can't," she finally said, taking a step away from the bridge. "I can't do it." Baird sighed irately, crossing back to her.

"Look, Omega-seven is just up ahead, get across the bridge and someone will take you back." She glared at him, her mouth dry; she swallowed hard, glancing back at the bridge.

"Getting across the bridge is the problem," she said, gritting her teeth. "I'm afraid of heights." The blonde gear made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat, then reached over and grabbed her wrist.

"Come on," he insisted, yanking her forward and almost throwing her off balance. "Don't be such a little girl."

"I'm not a little girl," she said indignantly, attempting to pull her arm away. It was no use; she really was no match for a Gear. "Baird, no, don't!" He spun around and slapped a hand over her mouth, his eyes narrowed.

"Shhh!" he hissed, sounding exasperated. "You want the whole hive coming up here? Look, you can either walk across, or I can throw you over my shoulder and carry you across." He returned the scowl she was sending him; he yanked her closer, too close for comfort. She shrunk back from him, her eyes shooting daggers. "It's you're choice, but whatever you decide, keep your mouth shut."

She glared at him for a second, then took a shaky breathe and pulled her arm away. "I can walk," she said, determined to show that she _wasn't_ just some weak little girl who couldn't get across a _bridge_. Her resolve lasted for about a minute; she took two steps onto the bridge, then blanched, her resolve melting away as she realized how high _up_ they were.

"Keep moving," the blonde Gear said from behind her, and she could have sworn he sounded amused by her discomfort. He pushed her, freaking her out and causing a small squeal to escape from her lips. "Christ, don't you know how to be quiet," Baird snapped, slapping a hand over her mouth again. "You're useless!"

"I told you, I can't do this," she said shakily, sounding panicked. She could handle the dark, being tossed around like a cat in a bag, and even being _shot_ at, but heights were where she drew the line. The Gear behind her sighed irately, then freed his hand and reached down to grab her wrist.

"What about if I lead you across," he asked, almost mockingly. "You can even close your eyes." Allena turned to look at him, torn between fear and apprehension.

"How do I know you won't lead me over the edge," she asked, glaring at him. Baird rolled his eyes, taking the lead.

"Come on."

Despite her mistrust, she couldn't help but close her eyes as he lead her over, and her relief was palpable when he told her they were across. She opened her eyes to find him smirking at her; she scowled at him, and the satisfaction in his smirk deepened.

"Are we there yet," she asked irately, glaring at him. He chuckled and hefted his Hammerburst up, turning to face the path ahead.

"Yeah, the others are just up ahead." Allena sighed, then followed after him- only a few more minutes, and then she wouldn't be stuck alone with him. Just a few more minutes.


	6. Crossed Swords

**A/N: **Happy New Years everybody!

Whoo, hello 2011. I hope this year is a great one for all of you :)

This chapter is really long. And the transition into the next chapter is kind of awkward ._. I'm probably going to change how I did this later, but for now, please enjoy Gears of War: Revelations Chapter Six :)

**Chapter 6: Crossed Swords**

"Hey corporal," Tanner called, waving as Baird and Allena climbed up a ladder. Baird nodded, hauling himself over with a grunt. He brushed the dust off of his armor and moved out of the way as Allena pulled herself over, her muscles staining with the extra weight of her gear. She glared at the back of his head as she got to her feet- it seemed chivalry was long dead.

"Corporal Baird," one of the other Gears said, a tall man with dark hair and eyes. He stepped forward, extending one hand. "I'm Sergeant Pierce, leader of Omega Seven." Baird nodded, shaking the man's hand briefly before releasing it. "It looks like we'll be sticking together from here on out."

Baird opened his mouth to reply when the ground below them began to shake, small pieces of rock skittering around the floor. Allena looked at Baird, her alarm written clearly on her features.

"Don't look at me like that," he snorted, one eyebrow raised. "You're the scientist here." Allena shrugged, kneeling down and pressing her hand to the floor.

"It feels like … it almost feels like something is moving," she said, frowning slightly. "Kind of like tectonic plates moving, maybe…"

"This place seems highly unstable," Sergeant Peirce said, glancing around warily. Allena shook her head, standing up.

"No, it shouldn't be that," she replied, looking up at the Sergeant. "If this place was going to crumble it had plenty of opportunity a long time ago." She looked up at the ceiling as she got back to her feet, dearly hoping that it wasn't a grind lift coming down to crush them, yet somehow knowing that it wasn't. That sureness was more terrifying then the actual thought of a grind lift suddenly coming through the rock.

"Well, we should get moving, regroup with the others," Sergeant Peirce said, breaking through the silence that had stolen over the group. "They shouldn't be too far ahead." The Gears and scientist pushed forward, everyone on high alert and leaving little room for conversation.

"There should be a set of doors up ahead," Sergeant Peirce murmured, his voice soft and low. "It'll lead us deeper into the hollow. It won't be left unguarded; keep your eyes open." A small ghost of a thought floated around in the back of Allena's head- once they passed those doors, there was no turning back. The thought slipped away as they came around the corner, the sound of gunfire welcoming them and ricocheting off the cavern walls. A set of doors carved out of stone loomed only thirty meters away; Locusts swarmed about it, and one was even mounting a Troika as the group got into cover.

"I can take that gunner out, if you draw it's attention," Baird shouted to the others, trading his Hammerburst for a sniper rifle. As the others shot at the Locusts hiding behind the low walls, Baird lined up a shot, his finger hovering over the trigger as he aimed the gun. Allena watched from beside him, her curiosity causing her to forget the Lancer in her hands. He squeezed the trigger, and a loud boom slapped at Allena's ears painfully; a split second later, and the hail of fire assaulting the others stopped, the gunner's head cleanly blown to pieces. He smirked in satisfaction, then drew his Hammerburst again. He spotted Allena watching him, and scowled at her.

"What are you looking at? Do something useful and shoot them!"

Allena growled in the back of her throat, then lifted her gun and began to fire at the Locusts; now that she had actually killed one, everything seemed easier. Maybe it was the rush of adrenaline, the memory of their last confrontation still fresh in her mind. She didn't kill any, but she wounded one or two of them, hitting them before they ducked back into cover. Within minutes, the Gears stood up, the last of the Locusts blasted out of existence.

"Good work, men," Price said with a nod. "Now, let's get that door open." The Gears all put up their weapons and went to go push the massive door open, as Allena went to go and examine the runes that scrawled up the arch. She hooked her Lancer to her back, then trailed her fingers over the runes delicately, her mind working to decipher the strange markings. It would have been easier if she had her translations book with her; she was having a hard time remembering if a certain symbol stood for power or faith.

"You just gonna stand there all day and stare at the pretty markings," Baird asked from next to her, drawing her out of her reverie. She looked up at him, a scowl instinctively settling across her features. "Come on, we're moving forward."

Allena nodded and fell into step between him and Tanner, reaching back to retrieve her Lancer. She froze mid-step as they all heard Locusts talking to each other up ahead, their grunts and growls getting louder.

"Get in cover," Peirce hissed softly, and the group melted into cover, Allena finding herself behind a wall with Tanner. He gave her a strained smile, then peered over the stone block they were hiding behind, his eyes scanning the path for the Patrol. He ducked back down as they came into view, glancing over at Sergeant Peirce. The older Gear caught the look, then nodded, glancing around at the others. He held up his hand- the signal to hold- for a few seconds, before motioning for them to open fire. The Gears popped up, and the sounds of battle filled the air as bullets flew.

Allena ducked back down to reload when an uncomfortably familiar ticking filled the air; she paled, her eyes shooting up to Tanner.

"Tickers," the young Gear called, confirming her worst fear. Allena popped up and took shots at the scurrying creatures, watching as they exploded into balls of fire before they could get close enough to do any damage. She was reloading when she noticed one scampering up; before she could blink, it had found its way behind Baird, preparing to explode. And of course, the Gear was so absorbed in making sure the Locusts stayed off the troika that he didn't even notice it behind him.

Allena couldn't risk shooting it and having it explode so close to him- not to mention she still needed to reload. She did the only thing she could think to do, ignoring the fear that screamed for her to _stop_, ignoring the concerned shouts of Tanner. She scrambled to her feet and bolted across the space, slamming her foot into the creature's side and sending it up into the air. She felt something wrap around her waist and drag her down as bullets whizzed past her head.

"Idiot," Baird growled, as she fell to the ground. She looked up at him, her icy eyes narrowing as she shoved his arm off her waist.

"You're welcome," she shot back, before she grabbed a fresh magazine and slapped it into her Lancer. _Ungrateful asshole…_ She rolled to her knees and took her anger out on the remaining Locusts, her bullets catching one in the face and demolishing its skull.

The group lowered their guns as the last of the Locusts were taken out, the smoke settling over them. Allena pushed herself to her feet, checking the ammo on her Lancer as Baird got up too.

"Thanks."

Allena looked up at the blonde gear, startled. He refused to look at her, a scowl on his face as he stared at the path straight ahead. She watched him as he went around the cover to talk to Peirce, a small, satisfied smile touching her lips. She came around the stone slab as well, joining up with the group.

"Anyone injured," Peirce asked. Allena glanced around as she shook her head; it seemed like no one had been hurt. "Alright, let's move forward," the man said. The group moved through the passageway, coming out in an open area. Allena looked around, disturbed by how strangely empty and quiet the small cavern was.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake, throwing them all off balance. Allena looked up, her eyes widening as she realized that the wall was _moving_.

"Oh, my god," she breathed, taking a step back.

"Everyone, move," Peirce yelled. The group scrambled back as the very earth began to shake, the "wall" moving away until there was only an empty chasm before them. They pushed back further into the tunnel as the ceiling began to collapse; Allena tripped, and would have been crushed if Tanner hadn't grabbed her arm and helped her back onto her feet. After what felt like a horrifying eternity, the ground stopped shaking, and things stopped falling all around them.

Allena took a hesitant step forward, waving a hand in front of her face and coughing slightly as the dust filtered through the air. She pushed past some debris, her eyes widening as she looked up.

"Oh my god," she whispered, her eyes sweeping across the ruble. She took another step forward as the others came up to join her.

"What is this," one of the Gears asked, awe and fear in their voices. "What was _that_?" Allena's eyes fell on a sign hanging a few feet in the air, still connected to the pole it had been attached to by one corner. She read the white words printed on the sheet of metal, her face paling.

"It's Ilima," she choked out, turning to look at the others in horror.

"It's Ilima."

Baird stared at her for a second, before moving past her to confirm it for himself. The sign didn't lie, and yet he almost couldn't believe that this was really what was left of one of the last human cities. He cursed sharply, kicking at a chunk of rock at his feet.

"Let's look for survivors," Peirce said grimly, although they all knew that if someone had survived the sinking of the city, it would have been a miracle. They stepped over the rubble and around the small fires that burned here and there, the horror of the situation reflected on all of their faces. Baird could feel the anger and resentment burning deep inside of him.

"But how," Tanner asked, looking around at the rubble. "How did they do this?"

"With that… that thing," Allena said, her voice faint. It was obvious that the shock of this whole situation was hitting her hard. "Whatever it was, it was big enough to sink a city. It looked like… it looked like a giant _worm._"

"They're beating us with worms," Baird asked incredulously. "Seriously?" Allena turned to look at him for a moment, and he couldn't help but be slightly disturbed by the ghostly look on her face. After a moment she scowled at him, then turned to examine a pile of smoldering rubble nearby. She nudged it with the edge of her boot, before looking up at the sky. He looked up as well; it was so blue, interrupted only by the wreaths of smoke that curled up from the wreckage.

It was all so _wrong_.

Baird scowled, lowering his eyes. He grit his teeth together and continued on, following the group. Allena walked next to him, her hands gripping her Lancer tightly; her face was pale underneath the dirt and smears of blood. He shook his head and looked forward; she shouldn't have been down here. She was just a girl, a scientist who had no business on the front lines.

"_This-…Stus Cole, does anyone-me?"_

Baird looked up, startled, then slapped a hand to his ear. "Cole? That you?"

"_Baird? He- my ma-… Did you see that sh-?"_

"Yeah, Cole, Ilima almost came down on our heads," Baird snorted, his words biting and cynical. "I've got Tanner and Allena Duke with me, we're with Omega-Seven right now. Where are you?"

"_Not so…-ure. I've only…..-t…..me…."_

"Cole, you're breaking up. Cole!" Baird swore soundly, kicking at a chunk of rock. He looked up at the others, a scowl on his face. "He's got to be nearby, if we're picking him up."

"We'll head in, see if we can't pick up his line again," Peirce said, before motioning for his squad to fall in line. The group continued on, Baird musing over the brief communication with the other man. He'd never admit it, but Cole was probably his closest friend in this entire shithole they called their home; it was a relief knowing he was still alive and kicking.

Baird was torn out of his thoughts as the sound of gunfire filled the air. The group froze as the scream of a bloodmount shook their ears; they all scattered as the creature tore around a pile of rubble, howling furiously. Bullets peppered the air as the Gears fought to took out the bloodmount and its rider, then turned to face the Locusts coming over the rubble behind it. Baird ducked down, ejecting an empty clip out of the Hammerburst and slapping a fresh clip in- he was running out of ammo. He glanced over and saw Allena squatting next to Peirce, both of them firing at the attackers.

Gunfire and a cry from behind them drew Baird's attention to the rear; he cursed as he saw another group from behind, taking out one of the Gears from Omega. He brought his Hammerburst around, firing into the group and scattering them into cover. Everything was happening at once, and it was all going downhill fast- bullets whizzed past his head, the blood roaring in his ears so loud that he could barely hear anything as they all fired at each other.

Then, a high, terrified scream tore through the air, and Baird's world seemed to slow down to a crawl.

He spun around in time to see Sergeant Peirce demolish a Locust that had snuck up on him and Allena, only to be knocked down by a hail of bullets from another Locust standing a few feet away. He lifted his Hammerburst to fire at the Locust as Allena dropped to her knees next to Peirce, her expression frantic as she futilely tried to stop the bleeding. She looked up at the Locust in horror- Baird sighted in and squeezed the trigger, a growl rumbling in his throat as the Locust raised a pistol.

As the trigger clicked, signifying an empty gun, he felt the cold end of a pistol press against his skull.

He glanced up at the Locust with a scowl, waiting for the death shot- and was caught off guard when the monster brutally smacked him, hard enough to make stars burst behind his eyes. He lifted his head and saw the other Locust reach down and grab Allena, dragging her to her feet before shooting Sergeant Peirce. A small, muffled scream came from the scientist, as she shut her eyes tight for the briefest of seconds; he could see a tear slip from the corner of her eye and trail down her dirty cheek. Then, his attention was drawn back to the Locust holding him as it dragged him to his feet, tearing the Hammerburst from his hands and tossing it to the side.

Baird scowled at the creature as it shoved him forward, spitting a curse at it. Tanner, Allena, and a young rookie from Omega were pushed over to where Baird was; the others had been killed in the battle. The four survivors were herded together, the Locusts talking to each other in rough, guttural grunts. Baird glanced at Allena as she fell into step beside him, her face ghostly white and her eyes wide.

He looked down as she held her hand out slightly, making sure that their captors couldn't see it. He looked down at the tags in her hand, surprised; then, he shook his head grimly, meeting her eyes. It was all well and good that he had gotten the tags, but it didn't matter a bit if there was no one to bring them back. And he had no doubt in his mind that they just might die down here.

He cursed sharply as the Locust behind him shoved him forward; apparently, he wasn't going fast enough for his captors. "Cool your shit," Baird spat, glaring at the Locust. The creature responded by smacking his across the face, causing him to stumble.

"Foolish human," the creature growled in broken English. Baird just raised an eyebrow before he moved on, catching up to the others..

Allena bit down on her lip as they were forced along. She refused to cry, not in front of her captors, and not in front of the Gears. She was shaken by what had happened, by watching Sergeant Peirce die right next to her- _stay alive. Keep fighting._ Those had been his last words to her, before the Locust had come and ended his life. She had taken his tags as the Locust had dragged her away from the dying Gear, knowing that it wouldn't end well for him; then again, it might not end well for any of them.

As the Locust lead them back into the tunnel systems, Allena found a numb sense of existence attempting to steal over her. She shook it away fiercely- she needed her senses about her. She could slip into shock later. As she tried to focus, she tripped over her own feet, sending herself sprawling on the ground. She looked up, her eyes wide in terror, as a Locust stepped up to her, growling as it raised its hand to strike her.

"Don't!"

Baird stepped in-between the two, a snarl curling his lips back as he knelt next to Allena. He helped her back up, supporting her for a moment until she regained her footing. The Locust snarled something unfriendly, then pushed the two forward.

"Thanks," Allena managed, her voice trembling slightly. The Blonde gear nodded, a hard look on his face as they were herded through a tunnel, stalagmites lending a soft white glow over the area. Large metal capsules of some sort dotted the area, and Allena could hear something moving _inside_ of them.

"There are people in there," she whispered in horror, her eyes wide. She looked up at the others, unable to believe what she was saying. The Locusts grunted to each other, then grabbed her roughly and shoved her to the side, taking the lone survivor from Omega and pushing him towards Tanner. The other Locusts went to some of the capsules, grunting to each other as they yanked the doors open and dragged the people inside of them out into the cavern. Many looked around fearfully as they were herded together; others had blank, vacant looks on their gaunt faces, stumbling as they were pulled out.

"What's happening," the rookie asked, his face pale and eyes wide as they were separated from Allena and Baird. Baird struggled to get free, snarling at the Locust holding him. It backhanded him fiercely, causing him to stumble slightly as they were all separated. "Let go," the rookie cried desperately, struggling against his captors. Tanner was trying to fight away as well, managing to free one of his hands. He threw a punch at the Locust who had grabbed him, knocking it sideways; before he could take two steps, bullets tore through the air, causing the Gear to fall back. The rookie had frozen, his eyes wide as he watched Tanner fall.

Allena couldn't believe what had happened; the Gear had taken a few rounds to the face, and now she couldn't even recognize him. She was still staring when the Locust holding her yanked her to the side, hard enough to almost dislocate her shoulder. He grunted to the others, then took Allena and dragged her to one of the capsules as the others were led away, their confused cries echoing around the cavern. Allena exchanged terrified looks with the rookie before being shoved into a capsule, the door slamming behind her.

The sound was harsh and depressing, and she desperately pushed against the door, feeling claustrophobic all of a sudden. "Baird, what do we do," she called almost frantically, fumbling in the darkness for something, anything that she could use to get her out of there.

"What do I look like, a fucking genie," she heard the Gear retort, and she felt her temper begin to snap. "You're supposed to be the smart one here." If she hadn't heard wrong, she could have sworn she heard a sharp, resentful bitterness in his voice, but she was far too irritated with him to make any sort of note of it, or to even care.

"Look, smartass, why don't you use more of your brain to figure out an escape instead of coming up with stupid replies," she shot back, feeling frustrated and scared. "We need to get out of here."

"You think I don't know that? Jesus, give me a moment to think."

Allena leaned against the wall in frustration, her irritation and sense of hopelessness mounting with each passing second. What had they just been put into? She thought of the others and shivered slightly- she had a feeling something much worse was going to happen to them. "You got any plans yet," she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly. Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the dimness of the container, and she could see the faint outline of rivets and places where the sheets of metal met.

"None whatsoever. Man, what I wouldn't give for some c4 right now."

Allena sighed in irritation, closing her eyes for a second. "This sucks," she groaned, resting her head back against the cool metal of the capsule. "We're never going to get out of here."

"That's what you get for coming down here," he snorted, stoking her irritation. "This isn't some walk in the park, like you all seem to think."

"I never thought it was," she shot back, her temper ready to break. "This isn't easy for _any_ of us. If I hadn't been in that KR crash a few weeks ago, I wouldn't be here."

"You survived that crash," Baird snorted incredulously. Allena rolled her eyes in the darkness, wishing she could kick him. "Balls up for you then, to survive just to die a few weeks later."

"God, you're irritating," she snapped, getting to her feet and beginning to look for a way out. _Anything_ to get away from him. "Why did you even protect me back there? That Locust could have just killed me, and you wouldn't have to deal with me." It was quiet just long enough for her anger to begin to ebb away, and for her to notice the time that passed as she waited for some sort of smart remark. She looked up, wishing she could see the look on his face. If anything, the silence was almost as bad as when he was talking.

"I've got my reasons," he finally said, his voice faintly mocking. "Why do you care, I saved your sorry hide either way, didn't I?"

_God_, he was irritating.

She opened her mouth for a snappy reply when the sounds of screams nearby began to fill the air. She felt the blood drain from her face, her eyes widening. "What was that," she asked, her heart beginning to beat a little faster.

"Hell if I know," he said, sounding alarmed. "I can't see a damn thing." The screams slowly got louder, as if wherever they were coming from was coming closer. "Shit, that can't be good."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," she shot back, feeling panic sink into her. She got up, straining her ears to hear for any sign of what might be going on, but the screams drowned out any other sound. And they sounded absolutely _terrible,_ long and drawn out and pained. It was terrifying, almost inhuman to her ears. "Oh my god, what's going _on_ out there?"

The screams reached a fever pitch, and Allena was able to peer out the small square window on the capsule. She gaped as a huge ship of sorts began to role past the dock area, the obvious source of the screams. Baird cursed in the capsule next to her, and she could feel the blood drain from her face as she came to a horrible realization.

"They're torturing them," Allena cried out as she stumbled away from the window, her cry almost a sob. She just wanted it _stop…_

"We need to get out of here, now," Baird growled, and she could hear him at work in the capsule next to her.

"It's no use," someone called out to them suddenly in a thin, weak voice. They both looked out of the small windows on the fronts of their capsules, at the capsule straight across from them. They couldn't see the person inside; it was too far away, and the glass was too dirty. But the voice was real.

"It's no use," the person repeated, and Allena was sure it was a male. "You can't escape. They'll come for you, and take you _there_. And you'll never come back." Allena shivered slightly, her stomach turning itself into a nice little knot.

"How do you know," Baird demanded from the capsule next to her.

"I've seen many people go there," the voice said, sounding old and tired. "And I'm next."

"Our friends are coming," Allena said, her eyes wide. "They'll get us all out of here." There was a cold, cynical chuckle from the other capsule.

"Your friends won't get here in time, girl," the voice said solemnly, his words harsh. "And you better get the idea out of your head that they're coming. No one _ever _comes, you hear?"

"Don't talk to her like that," Baird snapped, startling Allena. It was silent for an awkward moment; Allena couldn't even begin to fathom why he had jumped like that. "They're going to come, just you watch."

The man muttered something, and then there was a clicking sound. "No one ever comes," he repeated. "I was like you, once, thinking they would. But they never did. And I'd rather die then end up _there._"

"Where's there," Allena asked, her voice an octave higher then normal. There was a cold, almost sad chuckle, and then a loud crack filled the air. Allena shrieked, startled, and fell back against the inside of the capsule, her heart racing. It was silent for a few moments, the two stunned by what had just happened.

"Did he just…," she finally managed, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, he did," the blonde gear said grimly. "The poor bastard just killed himself." Allena leaned back against the wall, stunned, too shocked and confused to even notice the tear that rolled down her cheek.

Damon Baird liked to think of himself as a brave sort of man. Not stupid, like those idiots who got themselves killed and then were called heroes for "saving" their squads. No, he was smarter then that, and while he wouldn't just up and leave his people to die, he wasn't one to do anything extremely suicidal to save them.

Which was why he didn't know why he had stepped in when the scientist had fallen, or when the old man had told her to give up hoping. What was she to him? Absolutely nothing but a pain in the ass. And yet, when the Locust had come to give her what would no doubt be a fierce beating, when the man had told her that no one would come to save them, he found himself stepping up to protect her.

_Heaven forbid your starting to care._

He snorted inwardly at the thought- him, care? Yeah, right, he had better things to worry about then that slip of a girl. He dismissed it as payment for saving his ass from the ticker and set to work on trying to find a way out of the capsule, sliding his goggles down in hopes that they would help with the darkness. They helped just enough to be irritating, only vaguely making things easier for her to see, so he slid them off and began feeling his way around the inside, looking for what might be a weak spot. He'd be damned if he ended up like those people, the one he'd seen screaming on the barge. His capsule was at just the right angle for him to see the ship as it passed by the hole at the end of the passage. He refused to do what the other man had did- suicide was the cowards way out.

He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was just as shaken about the incident as she was.

"Dammit, this thing is solid," he growled, more to himself then anything. The screams had seriously gotten at him, and he'd rather not find out where they had come from firsthand.

"I don't suppose you're carrying any tools with you," Allena called out, trying to hide the hopefulness in her voice. He snorted and rolled his eyes; did she think he was some sort of portable tool kit?

"None that would be of any use here," he replied, chuckling at his own little joke. "I can't kick out, either. This thing was built well." He hated to admit it, but the bastards seemed to know what they were doing when it came to this capturing stuff. Which was a mystery all in its own- why were they capturing humans instead of just killing them?

Allena seemed to have come to the same conclusion as well. "What I don't understand is, why are we here? I can't think of any use they'd have for us."

"Hey, they could always feed us to the Brumaks."

"You're not helping."

Baird chuckled, then leaned back, deciding to try and think of a solution instead of wasting his energy groping around the dark capsule. "Maybe they're doing what we're doing," he said, more bored then anything. Might as well entertain her, and maybe he'd figure out what the hell she was doing down here. "They said something about… processing us, on something called a Beast barge, if I heard correctly."

There was a pause that was almost tangible, and Baird got the sense that he had caught her off guard. "You understand them," she asked incredulously. Baird snorted, his pride rising up slightly.

"You pay attention and you start to pick things up real quick," he said. "When you hear the order to shoot a thousand times, you understand which word is what." There was another period of silence; he must have surprised her more then he thought. Who said Gears were stupid?

"That's… surprising," she finally said a bit lamely. "What does processing mean? And what do you mean, they're doing what we're doing?"

"What is it you're doing down here- studying them, right?" There was a moment of silence before she confirmed what he'd said. "Maybe they're studying us."

"Well, last time I checked there weren't any Locust scientists traipsing topside," she said dryly. "And I'm not studying the Locusts, per se. I'm studying their way of life."

"That sounds pretty useless to me," Baird snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "What's so important about their way of life? It's not like we're gonna invite them to any dinner parties or something like that." He could imagine it now- _Oh, and it's proper to serve the Locusts a portion of their host at these banquet things, so looks like you're going to help with the main course tonight, Chairman._ What a fucking riot.

"It's not useless," she shot back, sounding defensive. He rolled his eyes; of course, no one wanted to think what they were doing was useless, even if it was. "If we can understand them, decipher their language, maybe we can negotiate a cease-fire."

"Are you fucking crazy," Baird asked incredulously. "Negotiate? With _them?_"

"Of course _you_ would say that," she retorted, the venom in her voice thinly veiled. "What you don't seem to realize, Corporal, is that humanity can't keep going like this. We're loosing more people each and every day, and I can tell you now women are not baby factories. Even if they were, a baby can't fight. Neither can a child." The anger in her voice was almost a palpable thing, but there was a sense of routine in the words, as well, as if she'd said them over and over again. He wasn't surprised, he couldn't imagine there were a lot of people on her side. "Maybe if we can reach out to their Queen, reason with her, we can save ourselves from extinction."

"You don't think the Gears are capable of doing that themselves," he asked mockingly, wishing he could grab her right now and give her a good, solid shake. Maybe then he'd get some sense into her.

"If they are, why hasn't it been done?"

The question, sharp and bitter, hung in the air, stirring an angry beast inside of him. Did she think it was so fucking easy? It wasn't her life put on the line every day, it wasn't her who had fought through E-Day, through the Lightmass offensive. "You think we aren't trying," he snapped through the darkness, hating the confines of the small capsule. It wasn't helping his anger a bit. "We've been fighting this shit for over fifteen years. It's a miracle that humanity is still going, and you know what? It's because we've been there, pushing back these merciless _bastards_, risking our lives for people like _you_." His words hung in the air, and a deep, uncomfortable silence settled over them. He waited, guns ready to shoot her down again.

When she finally spoke, she sounded tired, drained, and on the verge of tears. If he hadn't known better, hadn't seen her face, he would have thought she was much older. It surprised him, to say the least.

"You act like I don't know that," she said, her voice small and barely loud enough for him to hear. "I know what you all have been through. I know humanity more then owes the Gears for saving our sorry asses. But how much longer do you have to fight? How much longer _can_ you fight?" He leaned back slightly, still angry at her; part of his irritation was due to the fact that she was partially right. They couldn't fight for forever. "Can we just… drop it? We can kill each other later, we need to get out of here." He stared through the darkness, his anger ebbing away slowly. Had he been someone else, he might have even felt bad for the outburst. As it was, the way she had sounded had chipped at him.

And it confused him to hell.

"Yeah, whatever," he snorted, glaring loathingly at the door. He just wanted out, _now_, and as far away from Allena Duke as possible.


	7. To Kill A Mockingbird

**A/N: **Hey everyone, its me again :) I feel like the transition between this chapter and chapter six were kind of awkward, but I can't think of any other way to do it. If anyone has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated :) Also, I'm trying to keep a consistent schedule of updating every sunday, but if anyone thinks that's too fast then I was considering to changing it to a chapter every two weeks (it would give me more time to edit, if I needed it :sweat:)  
My mumblings aside, I hope you enjoy chapter seven :)

**Chapter 7: To Kill A Mockingbird**

Allena wiped at her eyes, trying not to cry. The fight had left her feeling low, like she was doing this all in vain. Was her work really useless? Everyone else seemed to think so, but was negotiation really such a bad idea? She just didn't understand why everyone else thought that way.

_It's discrimination rearing it's ugly head, Allena. That's how it's always been- you want to destroy that which is different._

She shook her head in disgust at the scientific little voice in her head. For once, she didn't want to listen to reason. She just wanted to go home. She managed to sit down, despite what she had said to him- she couldn't find the energy to even begin to think of a way out. The silence stretched on, him stewing in anger, and her wallowing in misery.

She looked up as she heard talking- yes, those were people! She got to her feet as Baird called out, the voices getting closer. "Cole, is that you? Hey, Cole, get me out of here man!"

"I hear you Baird," a familiar voice called out, sounding slightly amused.

"Then get me the hell out of here," Baird shot, and Allena could hear the capsule being messed with from the outside. There was a hiss as it was opened, and she could hear the other man stepping out of his capsule. "About time, what the hell took you guys so long," Baird asked as he stumbled out.

"You're welcome," she heard Marcus growl; she couldn't help but be relieved that he was alive.

"You said Allena was with you," she heard Dom ask, sounding a bit anxious. "Where is she?"

"There," Baird said; she winced at the obvious distaste in his voice. A second later, there was a clanking outside of her capsule, and with a groan the heavy metal door pulled open, revealing the Gears.

"Well hello there," A tall, dark-skinned man whistled as Allena clumsily stepped out of the capsule. "And who's this?"

"Cole, this is Allena Duke. She was assigned to Delta by Prescott," Marcus said, looking the girl over as if to check for injuries. "Allena, this is Augustus Cole."

"Better known as the Cole Train," Cole interjected, stepping in with a wink. "How you doing, miss Duke?"

"Hi," she said, managing a timid smile. "You can just call me Allena." Now, she was used to big Gears, but this guy was _huge_, almost as big as Tai. Speaking of… "Did you guys ever find out what happened topside?"

"No idea," Marcus said, shaking his head with a grimace. "Anya said the drill zone had gone dark." The squad leader turned and knocked on the side of the capsule, curiosity on his hard, scarred features. "What the hell are the Locusts doing taking prisoners?"

"They're locking people up, taking them deeper into the hollow," Baird said, his movements agitated. "They were going to process us, man! Whatever that means…" Allena rolled her eyes- yes, whatever that _did_ mean. It sounded bad, and if the scenario from before was anything to go by, it was downright terrible.

"Shit, I'll show these Locusts bitches some process," Cole said fiercely, shaking his Lancer for emphasis. Allena got the feeling he wasn't joking or bragging, either.

"Come on, we need to check this out," Marcus said, waving a hand for them to follow. The group fell into line behind him, and Allena found herself walking next to Carmine.

"Good to see your alright," the rookie said, and although he sounded tired there was still that cheerful quality to his voice. "We thought we'd lost you up there, when Dizzy went to go fight that… thing."

"Its good to see you guys are alright, too," she said, managing a tired smile. "I was almost a goner if it hadn't been for…." she trailed off, swallowing hard as she remembered those first few minutes in the cavern. She glanced at Baird, then scowled and looked away from him. She was still _pissed_ at him for the outburst, pissed that he was just like everyone else who thought she was working on nothing. "Anyways, I'm glad to see you all again."

"Keep an eye out for survivors," Marcus called out over his shoulder, as they pushed farther into the area.

"Shit, I didn't know the Locusts took prisoners," Cole said almost wondrously. It was a small little factoid that had baffled them all.

"I guess they do now," Dom said grimly, glancing at an empty capsule as they passed it. A sort of dock could be seen ahead, and Allena felt her blood run cold when she saw the large ship passing next to it.

"That's them," Baird said grimly, indicating the ship. "The Beast Barges." Allena shivered as she realized that was what they had seen passing by earlier, where all the screams had come from. "That's where they're taking all the prisoners, I think they're torturing them in there." As she watched it with her view unobstructed, she realized that it was _alive_, or at least part of it was, the creature crawling along the roof of the cave with the barge attached underneath.

"Then let's get in there," Marcus growled, catching Allena off guard. Why on earth would anyone want to get _on_ that thing? "If there are any prisoners on board, we're getting them out. Come on." As soon as the ship docked, a Locust patrol came off of it; the Gears opened fire on the unsuspecting Locusts, and soon the air was filled with bullets. Allena ducked down, grabbing for her shotgun but unsure that it would be any good in this situation. A loud boom shook the air, followed by an explosion behind them.

"Someone take out that boomer," Marcus shouted, and fire rained down on the heavy Locust carrying a large launcher of sorts. Finally, the area was cleared, the boomer toppling off the bridge.

"You know how Cole do it, baby," Cole crowed triumphantly, standing up from behind a fallen capsule. "They bigger they are, the better the kill!" He winked to Allena, pulling a smile from her.

"Let's go," Marcus said, waving them forward.

"Allena, why do you only have a shotgun," Carmine asked, falling into step beside her. She looked down at the gun in her hands, a frown on her face.

"They took my… The Lancer from me when they caught us," she explained, looking up at him. The rookie stared at her for a second (or she could only assume he was staring at her; it was impossible to tell through the helmet) then trotted ahead of her, kneeling down next to something on one of the corpses. He got to his feet as she got closer, turning and holding a Hammerburst out to her.

"A shotgun isn't going to do much in long-range confrontations," he said cheerily. "Why don't you take this? It doesn't have a cool chainsaw bayonet, but its pretty accurate." Allena took it gratefully, nodding to him as she tested the weight of the weapon. She looked ahead and spotted Baird picking up a Hammerburst as well, a few feet away; she caught his eye, and scowled fiercely when he looked up at her. He sneered back, getting to his feet and promptly turning his back to her.

_Ass._

They all jogged up the ramp onto the Beast Barge; Allena had to force herself not to look down, lest she embarrass herself in front of the other Gears. She stared in horror as she stepped onto the barge at the cages that were suspended in the air; bones clattered around noisily in one of them, serving as a dismal warning bell.

"Ah shit," she heard Carmine say, sounding panicked. She wondered if he was afraid of heights as well or something- until she turned and saw a platform lowering down to their level, the huge Locust standing on it hefting up a chain gun to aim at them.

"Grinder!"

They all ducked behind cover, and she found herself next to Baird. If she could have moved without being turned into Swiss cheese, she would have gone to hide next to Cole or something; the Blonde Gear's grimace told her he wanted the same. Hell, he probably wanted her to leave despite the fact that they were getting shot at. As soon as the Grinder had been downed with a cleanly placed head-shot from Dom, she moved away from Baird, peering up at the underbelly of the beast.

"Alright, let's head up this way," Marcus instructed, as they all grouped up. "We need to get this thing moving." They all fell into line behind him, guns up and ready to tear into whatever creature tried to get in their way. They went to the platform, going up in twos; Allena ended up going up with Cole, leaning against the rail slightly to make room for him.

"What is this place," she murmured, looking around the room. Doors lined the walls, all of them rusty and dingy. Marcus and Dom were already at the other end of the room; Marcus pulled a lever, and the doors swung wide open. The cells were empty, and Allena couldn't decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing; she didn't want to see what happened to people on the barges.

Marcus and Dom went up the ramps at the end of the room, leaving the others alone in the room.

"So what happened to you," Carmine asked, catching up with Allena as she peered into a cell. She wrinkled her nose; it smelt like old blood and rust. "After we all got on the grind lifts?"

"Well, I hooked up with that jerk over there," she said, the venom in her voice thinly veiled as she pointed at Baird. He didn't hear her; he was deep in a hushed conversation with Cole. "We were with Omega-Seven for a while- we all saw Ilima go down." She shivered slightly at the memory- that had been a close call. "Then they caught us." She shrugged, her Hammerburst feeling heavy in her hands. "Nothing really happened until you guys found us." Okay, so that was a lie- but she didn't feel like even thinking about the fight between her and Baird. She sent a glare at the Blonde, wondering what kind of nasty things he was telling Cole about her.

"So, man, what happened between you and the cutie?"

Baird snorted in disgust as he turned to face Cole, one blonde eyebrow raised. "Cutie? You mean Miss Anal over there?" Cole chuckled, making a face.

"Ooh, man, she must have gotten you good. What'd she do to ya?"

"Nothing," Baird shot, feeling irritated as he thought of their fight. "She's just an irritating little twerp who needs to go back to her lab." Cole raised an eyebrow, nudging his friend.

"Come on, man, you can't deny she's easy on the eyes." He glanced at Allena and nodded approvingly. "_Very_ easy on the eyes." Baird rolled his eyes at his friend's observations. He couldn't say Allena was ugly- he could bitch and moan about her personality all he wanted, but while she wasn't the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, he had to admit she was good looking.

"Look, you can go ahead and have at her," Baird snorted, snapping out of his thoughts. "But I'm warning you now, man, that girl's a bitch."

"Come on, baby, she can't be that bad," Cole said, trying to be reasonable. "Besides, it looks like something interesting is goin' down between you two- like I'm going to step into _that._" Baird made an irritated sound in the back of his throat.

"Look, we hate each other's guts, now can you leave it," he shot at his friend, running a hand through his blonde spikes irately. "There is absolutely nothing, and never will be, anything between us." The two looked up as the Barge suddenly lunged forward; he lowered his eyes in time to see Allena and the kid with the helmet trying to regain their balance, obviously thrown off balance. He watched as the Gear held out a hand to help the girl, and something sparked ever so slightly inside of him as she smiled her thanks. He scowled; and what was she so fucking cheery about? Cole nudged him, chuckling as his friend turned the scowl on him.

"You gotta admit, man, she's got a great smile."

"Let's just go," Baird growled, storming away from his friend and going up the ramp farthest from Allena and the helmeted Gear. He emerged topside, where Marcus and Dom were discussing their next move. Before he could say anything to them, bullets cut through the air; he cursed as he ducked down, a reaver zooming past them. The three men opened fire as the others joined them, the helmeted kid taking up the chain gun and taking out one of the reavers on their tail.

As Baird ducked down to reload, there was a jarring crunch that almost knocked him on his butt; he looked up to see their barge tangled with another, the Locusts on board the other barge opening fire on them. He saw a blur of movement in the corner of his eye and spotted Allena as she crouched behind a metal crate in front of him; jesus, couldn't this kid just go away? She popped up and took out one of the Locust, a satisfied smirk dancing on her lips as she turned to take out another. Before she could squeeze the trigger, something zoomed past her face, and a startled, pained cry escaped her lips as she fell to the ground.

Baird swore he felt his heart stop beating for a moment.

"Allena," he heard someone shout, and lo and behold, there was the helmeted kid, kneeling down next to her. For some reason, he didn't like him. He watched as Allena sat up, grimacing as she lifted a hand to her cheek. He looked away, taking out one of the last Locust- well, the bitch wasn't dead.

Something inside of him was a little glad about that. Something that he would like to kill right about now.

Allena swore soundly as Carmine helped her to her feet, her cheek throbbing.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth," Carmine asked, in a lame attempt at a joke. Allena rolled her eyes, lifting her hand away from her cheek to look at the blood that stained her glove.

Her blood.

"Come on you guys, we don't have all day," Marcus shouted back to them, as he moved forward to check that the coast was clear. As Allena stepped onto the other deck, Cole caught sight of her; his eyes instantly went to her cheek.

"Damn, girl, what happened to you," he asked, causing Marcus and Dom to turn as well. She blushed, shaking her head.

"It, ah, a bullet cut me," she said uncertainly. "Well… at least, I think it did." Cole chuckled, patting her shoulder.

"Good thing that's the only thing it did," he said. "You got lucky there, baby, looks like all you'll have is a nasty scar."

"Oh joy," she said dryly. The thought of a scar didn't bother her; the pain did. "I've never been shot before," she added with a sort of dazed wonder. Cole chuckled again, shaking his head.

"There's a first for everything, right?" he said with a wink, before looking up and past her. She looked over her shoulder to find Baird standing there, his eyes fixed on her cheek. She scowled at him, then promptly turned back around and headed to catch up with Marcus and Dom, Carmine in tow.

"Let's go check out what their hiding on boat number two," Marcus said, as the group headed down the ramp. The scarred Gear went around and pulled the lever as the others came down the ramp, the doors swinging open like before.

Except this time, one of the cells wasn't empty.

"Tai, is that you," Marcus asked, sounding incredulous. Allena's eyes widened as the large Gear stepped out of the cell, her heart aching for him. He was stripped down to the waist, and every inch of skin was covered in cuts and bruises- it was obvious he had been tortured. The others stared at their friend in horror, and for a moment it was silent.

"Marcus, we got more Locust on the way," Dom said suddenly, cutting through the stunned silence. Marcus glanced back at the Latino, then unhooked his shotgun from his back.

"Tai, let's go," he yelled, tossing the shotgun to the man. Allena watched the warrior from across the room as he looked at the shotgun like he didn't know what to do with it. "Cole, Baird, cover that door," Marcus instructed, turning his back on the man. "Carmine, Dom, cover the rear. Allena, I want you to check out Tai's wounds, do what you can for him." Allena leaned forward slightly- something was wrong.

A strange look came into the warrior's eyes, a painful, sorrowful clarity.

Allena watched in horror as the man lifted the shotgun, placing the barrel under his chin. "No, Tai," she shouted, bolting forward to stop him. The others turned at her cry; something grabbed her around the waist, stopping her short and spinning her away from Tai.

"Tai," She heard Marcus shout, and then a split second later a loud crack shot through the air, causing Allena to cringe. "No!" Allena bit down on her lip, closing her eyes tightly for a second- she didn't know if she could look. She opened her eyes and looked up at whoever had stopped her, all the fury and hrut from the past few hours piling up and breaking past her enternal barriers.

To her surprise, she found Baird staring down at her, his face unreadable.

"Why," she suddenly shouted. "Why did you stop me?"

"You would have gotten hurt, you idiot," the man snarled. She shoved him away from her, bristling angrily as her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"I could have stopped him," she yelled, her eyes brimming with tears. "We could have saved him!"

"No offense, but he's a lot stronger then you," Baird snorted, his eyes narrowed. "If he wanted to kill himself, I doubt _you_ could have stopped him." He looked up at Marcus, shaking his head. "I told you, man, they're breaking people! I could hear them screaming from the docks."

"I can't believe they did that to Tai," she heard the rookie say, his voice faint and a little squeamish sounding. "He… He survives everything… Doesn't he?"

"Let's just get the hell out of here," Marcus managed, before walking over to the warrior's body. Allena turned to watch as he knelt down and grabbed the man's tags, her heart beating painfully in her chest.

One thought blared through her muddled, confused thoughts- this shouldn't have happened.

She spun around, her eyes blazing as she made a beeline for Baird. Before she could stop herself, she drew her arm back and threw a punch, catching him in the jaw. The man stumbled back with a startled curse, obviously caught off guard. She cursed slightly, shaking her hand- damn, she didn't know that that would hurt _her_.

She looked up as the Blonde Gear got back to his feet, his blue eyes blazing. Cole and Carmine stepped in-between them, pushing the two away from each other. Allena didn't fight the rookie- she had done what she needed to. She glared at Baird for a moment, then turned away as she felt her angry mask breaking, her sadness surging up and causing tears to well up in her eyes.

"Allena," Carmine said, almost pleadingly. "Are you…"

"Let's just go," she said, her words harsher then she meant. "We should get out of here before the Locusts get here. Right?" The others nodded silently, each looking at the girl with different expressions. She suddenly felt small around them, as the silence bore down on them heavily.

"Yeah, let's go," Marcus finally said, relieving the tension to Allena's relief. "We don't want to be cornered on this thing." Allena wiped angrily at her eyes as she followed Marcus and Dom, ignoring everything else around her but the steady pounding of blood in her ears.


	8. Torque

**A/N:** Hey guys! Back with another chapter. This one is a little shorter, but it was necessary for the transition. I'm not sure how I feel about the action scenes I've written so far, but I haven't gotten any complaints so I'll just keep on trucking :)

Also, I just noticed this- all my seperators have vanished from other chapters again D: Once I get more time, I'll have to go back in and add them so that the switches in POV aren't so darn confusing.

Anyways, enjoy!

**Chapter 8: Torque**

Baird was in a nasty mood when they got topside.

Was a little gratitude too much to ask for? Sure, they had lost Tai- and Tai had been one hell of a soldier- but he had stuck his neck out for her and had kept her from getting hurt, again, and her thanks was punching him in the face? It hadn't so much hurt him physically as wounded his pride.

_Last time I ever do anything for her,_ he thought, shooting daggers at her from across the deck. The Carmine kid was standing next to her, their backs turned to him. His scowl deepened and he turned away- they were just pissing him off. He looked up as they pulled up to a docking station, gunfire meeting them immediately. This was what he needed, to put the smack down on some Locust before he went off on the girl. It didn't do much, but it helped him keep a reign on his delicate temper for the time being.

"Anyone know how we're getting off this thing," Dom asked, looking up at the wooden ramp. It was drawn up, held aloft by chains suspended from the ceiling.

"Back up," Marcus ordered, and lifted his Lancer. A few clean shots later, and the ramp came crashing down, dust filling the air and causing them all to cough slightly. "Let's get moving." Baird moved instantly- he'd rather be stuck with Fenix then with Allena, any day. The way things were going, he'd rather be stuck with a pissed-off Berserker then Allena any day.

They all jogged up the ramp, the wood creaking precariously underneath them. "We need to get in contact with control," Marcus told them, scanning the area ahead. There wasn't much by the way of anything, really; the small cavern tapered down into a tunnel that extended away from the docks. It was the only way to go- without a word, they all set off, and the tension in the air was almost a palpable thing as they looked for any signs of trouble.

They cautiously entered another cavern where the path sloped sharply, then doubled back over itself. Before anyone could say a word, a blood-curling scream tore through the air.

"Blood mounts," Dom called, as bullets whizzed past them.

"We gotta push through them, Delta," Marcus shouted, as they all broke for cover. The big, ugly beasts tore around the corner, howling for blood. One swiped for Cole; the man was barely able to roll away in time, the creature's deformed legs swiping through empty air. Cole lifted his Lancer with a sneer and shot the blood mount in the face as he ducked down again, then quickly finished off its rider as the Locust struggled to free itself from underneath its mount. The other blood mount went down soon after, and the group got to their feet as Marcus lifted a hand to his ear.

Baird looked around the cavern, bored, as Marcus filled Control in about what was going on down under; he walked a little ways ahead, looking for ammo, or maybe some extra grenades.

"Hey man, how you holdin' up," Cole asked, nudging his friend with his elbow. Baird shrugged; he suddenly didn't feel like talking. Cole nodded slightly, looking forward. "Allena looks pretty shook up."

"And why do I care," Baird snorted, one eyebrow raised. Cole looked at him, giving the man a droll stare.

"You were the one who tried to stop her from getting hurt."

"Yeah, a lot of fucking good that did me." Cole sighed dramatically, shaking his head.

"Now that's just a shame," Cole said. "You both are actin' like preschoolers. She's hurt by what happened, you can't blame her for doin' what she did."

"Yeah, and _I'm_ hurt by that punch in the face, but you don't see her saying sorry," he shot back sarcastically. Cole just shook his head, tsking at his friend. "What are you doing, anyways, playing mother?"

"I'm just looking out for my man," Cole said with a faint, mocking smile. "Didn't want you getting into any trouble now."

"Who, me? Never."

Cole just chuckled at his friends sarcasm, then turned as Marcus called them over. "We're heading out, Delta," the scarred Gear told them, examining each of them carefully. "Control is sending out a pickup for us. They've got a new mission for us."

"Oh, yippee," Baird said dryly, earning a glare from Marcus. He shot a look at the back of his head as he turned around, then fell into step behind him, heading up the path. They turned a corner, a faint orange glow illuminating the path up ahead- Baird noted grimly that they were heading back into the Ilima sinkhole.

**===V===**

Allena couldn't help the small sigh that escaped her lips as Marcus told them they were being picked up- maybe they'd send her home now, realizing that she couldn't do anything more out in the field. She hadn't been able to collect any information whatsoever- even she knew that the operation had been a failure. But that didn't mean there still wasn't work to do.

She looked ahead and spotted the tell-tale glow of embers in the air, shivering slightly as she realized that they were heading back for Ilima. It made sense, after all, to get picked up from there, but it left a bad taste in her mouth. The air took on a smoky smell as they stepped into an open area, smoke drifting from the burning skeleton of what had once been a huge building.

They began weaving through the maze of collapsed buildings, Allena casting a wary eye on them in case one decided to topple over. As they picked their way over rubble, a loud boom shook the air, and a building collapsed as a missile impacted with its side. Seconds later, a reaver descended on them, screaming for blood as it flew through the air. Allena could only stare in horror as the creature got closer and closer- and landed almost on top of her.

"Allena, run!"

She could hear them screaming at her, but couldn't bring herself to move, the shock of everything finally hitting her like a truck. There was an odd, detached feeling- _there's something heavy in my hands, lift it up._ As the creature loomed closer, she managed to take a step back, gaping rather like a goldfish as she met her final minutes.

Suddenly, the reaver screamed again, backing away from her as bullets rained down on it. Someone grabbed her from behind and dragged her back behind cover, pushing her down as the man lifted his Lancer.

For a second, she thought it had been Baird- what was with him and always saving her? But a closer look told her that it was Dom, and there was something like disappointment in the back of her head. The feeling served to only confuse her more, and she sat and tried to sort through her muddled thoughts, even as rockets zoomed over her head.

Finally, the reaver went down; the creature's dying scream was enough to snap Allena back into reality. She looked up at Dom as he stood, her eyes wide.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I'm really sorry." Dom managed a strained smile, holding a hand out to her.

"Are you alright," he asked, looking her over to make sure she hadn't been hurt.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said, swallowing back her embarrassment. "I don't know why I froze up like that, I'm sorry." Shew as obviously shaken, and embarassed tears burned her eyes. She spotted Baird giving her something that was between a glare and a smirk, and for once she felt like she deserved it.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Dom said, sounding alarmed. Allena noted vaguely that he might have thought it was his fault she was down, but she didn't even understand why she was so ashamed. "It happens to everyone at some point. You've been doing notoriously good so far, for someone who's never had proper training for this, don't beat yourself up over it." Allena just nodded miserably, taking a deep breathe and blinking back the tears.

"You good," Marcus asked the two of them gruffly. Dom nodded, and Allena followed suit, forcing herself to look at the scarred Gear. He looked at her for a second, and then his eyes softened just a tad bit, and he sighed. "Just don't let it happen again." She nodded again, and they set off for their extraction point. Allena kept her head down and berated herself for freezing up, despite what Dom had told her. She just risked his life and hers, all because she'd lost it for a moment. They skirted around an old gas station, cars burning around the building and throwing everything around the area into sharp relief.

"Hey, Marcus, I think we can find a safe LZ up on that rooftop," Dom called out, jerking his chin in the direction of a tall, grand building that had somehow mostly survived the sinking. They all stared up at the building for a moment, the crackle of fires in the distance the only sound to be heard.

"Good call," Marcus said after a moment, still examining the rooftop. "Let's move." They went around the side of the building and found an entrance, the telltale orange glow of flames illuminating the doorway.

"That can't be safe," Allena said warily, eying the fires. "Those fires will weaken the structure severely."

"We shouldn't be up there for long, right Sarge," Carmine said, stepping up next to her.

"Right," Marcus said gruffly, beginning up the stairs. "Move it, guys, we don't got all day." They went up the winding sets of stairs, the walls and floor charred and ruined. Allena felt a bead of sweat trickle down her neck- it was like an oven on the stairs, with fires crackling all around them. Allena exhaled as they reached the top floor, the room exposed due to a lack of a roof, cool air washing over her sweaty face.

Carmine stepped ahead and yanked a pin out of a canister, rolling it along the ground until it bumped into what had once been a desk and began to let out green smoke. "Smoke's up, Sarge," the rookie called, moving to join them again. "Let's hope the Raven spots us before the Locusts." Allena couldn't help but scowl at him; he really wasn't making her feel any better about this whole thing.

"Come on, man, don't jinx us," Baird said, making a face at Carmine. Apparently, he felt as uneasy as Allena did. He turned and caught her looking at him; he scowled fiercely, then turned his back to her and went to go stand with Cole. She stuck her tongue out at the back of his head, kicking a box over with the toe of her boot. The box suddenly exploded, causing a small, startled cry to escape her as she jumped back.

"Looks like the jinx worked," Dom said cynically, raising his Lancer. Allena ran to join the Gears behind cover, her Hammerburst held tightly in her hands.

"Great, nice one," Baird snorted, giving Carmine a glare before vaulting over a rail and opening fire as he hid behind a wall.

"Bring it on, I'll take out all them bitches," Cole said; Allena would have found it humorous had her heart not been pounding at a million miles an hour. Bullets flew through the air as the Locusts emerged from behind walls and up staircases, a Kantus priest screaming viciously as it attacked. Allena jumped out of the way as a small canister landed on the ground near her; a second later, a wave of sound and air smacked at her, sending her tumbling behind a wall. She quickly regained her footing and used the wall as cover, sweat pouring down her face as her stomach twisted into a tight, painful knot of anxiety, her ears ringing painfully.

_Where is that damned raven?_

Just when she thought they were goners, a hiss of static crackled in her ear, startling her. _"Delta, this is KR one-nine, we have a line on your smoke," _a cool, calm male voice said in her ear.

"Roger that, one-nine, Delta's ready for pickup," Marcus said, before popping around a wall to take a shot at a Locust that had strayed too close. Seconds later, the familiar sound of a helicopter reached their ears, a King Raven emerging from the dark smoke that had stained the sky. They continued to fire as it prepared to drop down, wind whipping around them fiercely.

Allena saw a movement next to her and turned her head to look at Marcus, who had turned to look over his shoulder. "Ah, shit," he breathed, before lifting a hand to his ear. Allena turned to look as well, her face paling when she saw a massive wall heading _straight for them._ "Hurry it up, one-nine! We need outta here, now!" The KR came down right next to them; Marcus grabbed Allena and pushed her on, yelling at the others to get on. The pilot urged for Allena to sit next to him to make room for the others; she crawled up front as Baird, Cole and Dom jumped into the back.

"Where's Carmine," Marcus yelled as he got on. Allena looked back over her shoulder, a worried expression on her face.

"I've got your back, Sarge," the rookie yelled from outside of the KR. Marcus shook his head, growling in the back of his throat.

"Get your ass in here, now!"

"Rookie, this ain't the big game yet," Cole yelled, standing up slightly to look out at the man. "Save your ass for the playoffs!" Allena watched as he backed up to the chopper, making a small, strangled gasping noise as rounds caught him in the shoulder and spun him onto the KR. Marcus and Cole grabbed him, dragging him onto the KR.

"We're in," Marcus shouted to the pilot, and the bird lifted into the air, stirring smoke as it went. There was a loud, almost deafening rumbling as the wall moved closer, a gaping hole rushing up to meet them.

"I-I'm okay, Sarge," Carmine managed from the back. Allena could have sworn he still sounded as chipper as ever, even though his shoulder must have hurt like hell. "I can't believe we made it!" Just as the words left his mouth, something collided with the Raven's tail, causing it to swing about wildly. Allena watched in horror as Carmine slipped off the deck and out into the open air, screaming as he fell right into the mouth of a giant _worm_.

"Carmine," Marcus yelled, as he helplessly watched Carmine fall into the abyss. The King Raven swung wildly, and a chorus of screams rose up as the worm opened its mouth and clamped it shut over the Raven.


	9. Rude Awakening

**A/N:** Hey guys, I'm back again! Despite all the crazy things that have happened this week, I've still managed to get another chapter up for you all :) (On a side note, I think this is the only thing that I'm ever consistant about XD Like, in all of ever.) It's shorter then the others, but I had to break this part into two chapters or else it would have been too long.

I'm kind of working on fleshing out the story a bit more with Allena, I've noticed that she's kind of just injected into the story with her own little commentary. I might rewrite earlier chapters, but that just depends on how lazy I'm feeling.

Anyways, thanks for all the loverly reviews! Special thanks go out to xadoniax and Pyro_Rapter77 for their support- thanks for letting me know I'm doign something right, guys :)

Enjoy!

**Chapter 9: Rude Awakening**

Some days just weren't good days.

As Allena opened her eyes and stared up at the shattered glass that had once been the windshield of the KR, she couldn't help but think that this day had been terrible from the start. She could feel something warm and sticky trickling down her forehead; she reached up and discovered blood seeping from her hairline. She stared at her hand for a second, her thoughts jumbled. All she could think about was how crappy a day this had been.

"Allena, hey Allena, you still in there?"

She tilted her head to the side at the voice, and it took a second for her to comprehend that they were calling for her. "I'm here," she said, her voice coming out as a dry squeak. She cleared her throat, and tried again, this time drawing the attention of the others. She looked around as they clambered over, feeling sick at the sight of the blood and barely recognizable body strapped into the seat next to her. She'd been lucky.

"Damn baby, that was close," Cole said, reaching up and using a knife to saw through her harness. He help her out of the mangled hulk of the King Raven, easing her to the ground. "You alright?"

"I'm alright," she said automatically, then paused and looked down at the blood on her glove. "I'm just bleeding." She felt dizzy- she shook her head gently, grimacing at the knife of pain that cut through the haze. Cole chuckled, reaching down and tilting her head up to look at the cut.

"Well, I ain't no doctor, but it doesn't look too bad. You'll survive," the man said, patting her shoulder gently.

"I lost my Hammerburst," she suddenly noticed, looking down at her empty hands. She turned to look back at the wreckage of the KR, her heart sinking as she realized it would take hours to find the damn gun, if it had even made it this far along with them. For all she knew, it had fallen out before the worm had eaten them.

"Hey baby, you still got your shotgun, right?" Cole asked. She nodded solemnly, and he cracked a grin at her. "Then you'll be alright. You know what they say, the bigger the boom, the better the kill! Ahaha." She managed a smile, then looked around at the others. Marcus was helping Dom to his feet, the man looking as disoriented as she felt.

"Dom, you okay," Marcus asked, looking concerned. Dom looked at him for a moment, then looked up.

"Tell me… Tell me we aren't where I think we are," he finally said. Allena looked around, too, at the glistening pink walls all around them, and felt a sickening chill twist in her stomach as it dawned on _her_ just where they were.

"Hate to tell you, Dom. We are," Marcus said, his expression dead serious. Allena made a disgusted noise as a heavy, fat drop of saliva dripped down in front of her, jumping back in surprise.

"Oh, this is just perfect," Baird said sarcastically, as they began to explore their new surroundings. "We're inside a giant worm! Now what in the COG's name are we supposed to do?" Allena could only gape at where they were; there were whole _buildings_ propped up against the pink, glistening walls, rubble littering the center of the massive pathway.

"Come on, man, let's just cut our way out this bitch," Cole said, looking up and scowling.

"No, first we kill it," Marcus said. Allena stopped and stared at him, her mouth in a perfect o. "Then, we can cut our way out." Jack materialized next to Marcus, floating forward to investigate the area. It didn't even dawn on Allena that the robot had been there the whole time; she was too busy staring at the back of Marcus's head.

"Kill it," Allena asked, looking at Dom incredulously. Dom gave her a baffled look, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Uh, excuse me," Baird asked, glancing at the two.

"This is what's sinking the cities," Marcus told them, glancing back at them for a moment before turning to survey the rubble all around them. "This is our chance to stop it."

"And how the hell are we supposed to do that," Baird asked, his voice slightly mocking. Normally, she would have found his sarcasm annoying; now, however, she could only wonder the same thing.

"Rip its goddamn heart out," Marcus growled grimly. "C'mon, let's move." They jogged down the path, sloshing through a puddle of thick, heavy fluid; Allena swallowed hard, trying not to gag.

"This is so gross," she said, mortified. She didn't care if she sounded like a teenager- _this_ hadn't been in the job description. She cried out as the ground rumbled, pitching them forward into the fluid. She scrambled back onto her feet, her expression horrified as she desperately wiped the liquid off her face; Baird barked out a short, devilishly amused laugh at her expression, even as he shook the clear fluid off himself.

"Ah man, look at this shit! It's straight up nasty down here," Cole said, scowling at the fluids as if they had mortally offended him. "Where the fuck we at?"

"I never made a point of studying worms, but this fluid is some kind of lubricant," Allena said, making faces at the slimy liquid.

"So what, are we in the mouth still?"

"Or the other end," she said, giving Baird a grim look. She got some small pleasure from the disgusted expression on his face, but was too busy wiping goo off her face as they jogged up a hill. Headlights from cars shone harshly out at them, tossing their shadows against the jagged piles of rubble next to them.

The ground shook as a loud smacking sound filled the air; they came around the corner and watched as a giant wall slammed down into the ground, and then slowly raised back up. Allena watched in morbid fascination, her eyes wide.

"Oh, it just keeps getting better," Baird said sarcastically, standing next to Allena and staring up at the teeth. They looked at each other for a second, similar expressions of disgust on their faces; and then, Baird moved away from her, scowling at the teeth.

"Allena, any idea what _those_ are," Dom asked, looking at her. She shrugged, examining the walls closely. She flinched slightly as displaced air slapped at her, the walls glistening.

"Um, some kind of digestive teeth," she said, looking at the bottom tooth. "The pressure those exert must be massive…"

"Well it's certainly enough to turn us into mashed Gears," Baird snorted, giving her a droll look. She had the urge to punch him again, but contented with clenching her fists into tight balls. They could fight later.

"Alright, keep in step with me," Marcus said, his face set with determination. "Don't fall behind!" Allena squared her shoulders and tried not to think about what would happen if someone _did_ fall behind; it wouldn't be pretty, to say the least. They all sprinted as soon as one giant wall began moving up, then waited tensely as they waited for the other one to crash down and raise back up, crowded together in the tight space in-between teeth in an attempt to avoid being crushed. Allena was sandwiched uncomfortably between Dom and Cole, with Baird practically breathing down her neck.

_I'm going to develop claustrophobia down here,_ she thought with a scowl, as they bolted underneath the tooth before it could crush them.

"Keep your head down and don't stop moving," Marcus instructed as they came up to a row of low, rapidly moving teeth. A small wall the left and right kept the teeth from coming all the way down, leaving barely enough room for them to duck and run under. Allena followed after Marcus, her heart practically in her throat as she ran the gauntlet, displaced air slapping at her. Just when she thought her back would break, she was suddenly free; she straightened up, grimacing as she stretched out her back. Dom, Baird, and Cole quickly followed behind them, and they continued on their way.

"So, where did this thing come from," Allena asked, looking up at the "ceiling." "I mean, they couldn't have just _made_ a giant worm, right?"

"Maybe they gave a worm super-steroids, or somethin' like that," Cole said, nudging a piece of rubble over with his toe. "You got a point, and where the hell would they find a giant worm?"

"Hey, Baird, did you ever figure out what was on that scroll," Dom asked, looking back at Baird. Baird stared at him for a second, then made an "Oh!" face and nodded.

"Yeah, I was able to translate some of it," he said, sounding smug. "But dammit if that thing wasn't creepy."

"What scroll," Allena asked, one eyebrow raised curiously. Baird gave her a mocking look, smirking at her.

"You'd have seen it if you weren't punching people in the face," he said pointedly. "Dom and Marcus found this Kantus scroll down in the hive- mind you, this thing was made of _human skin_- and it was talking about the worms." Allena made a face at him that she hoped conveyed the fact that she had no reservations about punching him again.

"What exactly did it say," Dom asked, cutting in before Allena could go at it. Baird shrugged deftly, running a hand through his spiky hair.

"The first part is tricky, I'm still working on it. But the second verse said something to the point of 'The worms answer, my name is horde, for we are many within.'"

"What the hell does that mean," Marcus asked, finally taking interest in the conversation.

"Beats me," Baird snorted. "I'll study it some more later- I don't work well under fire." They turned a corner in the fleshy maze and found another set of teeth, a soft groan arising from all members of the party.

"This thing just doesn't end," Allena groaned sighed, her shotgun feeling heavy in her hands.

"For all we know, this things heart is like a mile away from here," Baird said, his eyebrows furrowed together. "And how… how are we supposed to find it, anyways?" They all turned to look at Marcus; as irritating as the blonde was, he had made a _very_ good point.

"Baird, shut up," Marcus said, sounding exasperated. Allena looked at him and sent him a scathing smirk; the man grimaced at her, baring his teeth. "Keep watch for Carmine," he said, changing the subject. Allena felt her heart plummet slightly at the mention of the rookie- she had totally forgotten about him, on their nightmare run. "If we made it, he might have, too." Allena chewed on her lip, praying fervently that he had survived; he was a good kid, he didn't deserve to die in this stink hole.

They ran through another set of crashing walls, Allena's heart nearly pounding out of her chest until they made it to safety. "I swear, my heart is going to explode down here," she muttered as they came around a corner, trying to catch her breath. Baird smirked at her, and opened his mouth to make what was sure to be a smart comment, when Dom interrupted.

"Speaking of hearts, is this it," he asked, indicating a large globule hanging from the ceiling.

"I don't think so, I don't see any arteries, or veins," Baird said, and a short silence fell over them; of course, it just couldn't be that easy.

"It kind of looks like a uvula," Allena said curiously, peering up at it. "But I can't be sure, this thing doesn't seem to follow any anatomy I've ever studied. We're more then likely in the alimentary canal, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly where we are in relation to-"

"You're rambling," Baird cut in, giving her a deadpan look. "Sorry, but we don't understand geek talk." She fumed silently, her face turning a furious shade of red as he turned his back on her, looking at the others. "Suffice to say, this is something different."

"Yeah, but what," Dom asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust. The walls and floor were pink and a noxious green, spikes sticking out from quivering globs along the pathway. Massive, tree-like structures reached up to the roof, covered in the same spikes. Thin streamers of white swung from the ceiling; Allena had a feeling she didn't want to know what they were.

"There's something up ahead," Marcus yelled suddenly, as the ground ahead of them began to tremble and shake. Something burst out of the floor, white creatures scuttling at them with sickening screams. The Gears opened fire, stumbling back as four or five of the creatures emerged.

"What the hell was that," Cole exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Some kind of parasite," Allena said, her face pale. "It's not surprising in a creature this large for something else to be piggybacking inside."

"Wait, do you hear that," Marcus said, holding up a hand. They all fell silent, straining to hear- and then they heard it, gruff growls, the sounds of struggles, and something that sounded like a scream.

They looked around one of the tree structures, and Allena almost lost her lunch there and then. "It's Carmine," Dom shouted. The young rookie was being _mauled_ by one of the white creatures, his screams enough to make anyone sick.

"Ahh! Get it off me, get it the hell off me," he cried, as it grabbed him and dragged him away. The Gears charged forward, shooting at the creatures and scaring them off; as soon as they were gone, Allena ran forward, dropping to her knees next to the rookie's head.

"Oh my god, Ben," she whispered, horrified as she took in the damage. She looked away for a moment as Marcus kneeled next to them, shutting her eyes tight against the tears that threatened to spill over.

The creature had torn through the young Gear, his insides exposed and covered in a steaming green acid.

"S-Sarge," the man whispered weakly, his voice laced with pain. Allena opened her eyes and looked back at him, biting down hard on her lip.

"Carmine," Marcus said grimly, his voice soft. The Gear lifted his hand weakly, waving it slightly above his mangled body.

"I-I hurt… Sarge," he managed, his words breaking Allena's heart. "I… Tell my brothers… my ma and sister… Tell em I love em, and… and…." He coughed weakly, and then lay still, his hand dropping down next to him. Allena reached out and gently picked it up, unable to hide the tears that spilled over her cheeks as she gently pressed it to her cheek. Marcus stared at the man for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"Hey, Allena, come away from there," Dom said gently, reaching down and pulling the girl back. She allowed him to pull her up, shutting her eyes tightly for a moment. She pressed the palm of her hands to her eye, trying to stop the tears. "Are you going to be alright?"

She looked up at him, biting hard on her lip to prevent herself from crying more; then she turned and gingerly picking up the Lancer that had slipped from Carmine's hands. She looked down at it with her lips pursed, then tightened her grip on it, nodding as she looked up at Dom. Tears slipped from her eyes again; she wiped at them hastily.

"Let's just kill this thing," she said, a determined look crossing her features even as her voice cracked. Before anyone could say anything, the ground began to shake; Dom stumbled slightly, grabbing Allena so that she wouldn't fall onto the spikes next to them.

"Huh? What the hell is it doing," Cole asked, as Marcus got to his feet. He bared his teeth and shot at the pulsating walls.

"Cole, come on, stop pissing it off," Baird said sharply, shooting a look at his friend. Allena wiped at her eyes as they all moved closer together, looking around apprehensively.

"How the hell are you gonna tell me what not to shoot in here? Look at this shit," the man exclaimed, waving his hand around for emphasis. The ground suddenly shook again, pitching them all forward; Allena stumbled against Baird, the two grabbing onto each other in an attempt to keep their balance in spite of themselves. They fell in a heap on the ground; she pushed away from him, rolling onto her back as the blonde looked behind her.

"Oh, that's why," he said, sarcasm biting at his words. Allena looked back as Cole helped her to her feet, a look of horror crossing her features.

"Oh, shit," Cole said, the ex-thrash ball player's eyes wide with awe and something that might have been fear.

There was a giant wall of debris rolling straight for them.


	10. Impasse

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Wow, I'm sososososo sorry for my long absence! /SHOT  
I've been really ill lately, and school has been kicking my butt up and down. Not to mention I lost my password . Anyways, enough excuses from me, I hope you guys are still hanging in there! I'm double-updating, to make up for my insanely long absence (And this chapter is short anyways.)  
Enjooooy!

**Chapter 10: Impasse **

"Run," Marcus shouted as they scrambled to their feet. They bolted down the path, sprinting and trying to avoid stepping on the spikes that lined the path as the wall of rubble rolled in behind them.

"Damn this thing can eat," Cole exclaimed, glancing back over his shoulder. Allena couldn't look; if she did, she'd probably end up dead.

"It's a giant worm, Cole," Allena panted, to distract herself from the possibility of being crushed. "It has to eat a lot to keep itself going."

"Yeah, just like you," Baird managed snidely, sounding a little breathless as he kept up with them. Cole shot him a deadly look as they jumped down off a wall, the bound slightly bouncy beneath their feet.

"Aww man," Baird said, as they came upon a thin membrane.

"Don't think about it, just saw through that shit," Cole yelled. Dom revved up his chainsaw and sawed through the membrane; they had to help each other through the narrow opening, Cole nearly getting stuck. Baird and Allena pushed against the man's side as Dom and Marcus pulled, until he finally slipped through.

"Dammit, Cole, you're going on a diet when we get out of here," Baird said, as he helped Allena up and through.

"Shut up, man," Cole shot back, as the blonde slid through the opening. Allena and Dom reached out and grabbed his arm, yanking him out. They all turned and continued to run, the wall rumbling in behind them.

"Um, guys," Allena gasped out, staring at the huge wall that loomed before them. "We're trapped!"

"No we're not," Marcus shouted back. "Concentrate your fire on the opening!" Bullets bit into the pucker in the center of the wall; seconds later, it opened up, allowing them to charge through. They continued to run, putting more distance between them and the wall of rubble; still, it was coming after them, as surely as Sera revolved around the sun.

They bolted up the underside of a car, spikes glistening wickedly on either side to remind them of what would happen if they fell. Allena's boots slid across the surface, still slick with wormy fluids- it Cole hadn't grabbed her, she probably wouldn't have made it. He pulled her to safety, gently nudging her forward as he waited for Baird. They all jumped around patches of spikes, barely staying on the path as they booked it out of there. They approached another thin membrane, this time their chainsaw bayonets already revved up and ready to go.

"What cut of meat do you want," Cole said, grinning as if he had lost it. "Center cut, rib-eye? Haha, I prefer mine rare." Marcus sawed through the membrane, and they all ran through, the wall of debris unable to fit through the smaller opening.

"About time," Baird grumbled, a relieved look on his face as he looked back at the wall. The group moved forward into the new area; Allena looked down the paths, eyeing the nozzles that sprayed green liquids onto the path suspiciously.

"Let's keep moving," Marcus called, as he jumped down off a ridge. "If this is the stomach, the heart and lungs have got to be somewhere on the other side." Allena hesitantly jumped down as well, looking at the jets of liquid.

"Yeah, as long as it's physiology plays by the rules," Baird snorted.

"Shut up," Marcus growled again, rolling his eyes as they all walked towards the path.

"Damn, what is that shit," Cole asked, wrinkling his nose as they got closer; the fumes from the liquid were absolutely putrid.

"It looks like some kind of acid," Allena said, making a face as well. "Assuming we _are_ in the stomach, those have got to be some kind of digestive fluids." She peered around for an alternative route, frowning when she saw none. "Suffice to say, you don't want it on you."

"So how do we get past," Baird asked, looking at Allena skeptically. She was about to make a smart retort when Marcus suddenly lifted his Lancer and fired. The rounds hit the nozzle, effectively shutting it off.

"That looks about good," Dom said.

"We better hurry, I have a feeling that thing won't stay off forever," Marcus grumbled. They waited for it to start up again, then shut it off, running until they reached the next nozzle. Allena found herself simply following them, moving automatically; a numb sense of being had stolen over her, and she felt inexplicably tired. She wasn't sure how much more she could take of this; she had a totally new respect for Gears.

"I don't get nightmares, but I know I'm going to be seein' this shit in my dreams," Cole exclaimed, as they barely avoided a jet of acid. Allena couldn't agree more; unlike Cole, she did happen to get nightmares, and this would probably be in the worst ones. They emerged from the row of nozzles unscathed, and proceeded down the path, pools of acid lining the way. Allena made a face as they passed; God, those fumes were absolutely _terrible._

They approached a tunnel that was emitting a nasty-looking gray gas; Dom wrinkled his nose, waving his hand in front of his face. "Ugh! This place smells like ass," he exclaimed, leaning back a bit.

"Ass?" Cole interjected, one eyebrow raised skeptically. "More like cheesy, rotten toe-jam ass!" Allena coughed slightly, wishing that her nose wasn't attached to her face. Top ten worst smells in the world, and every single one of them were inside the damned worm.

"Forget the smell, this place is toxic," Baird coughed out. Allena's eyes began to water at the smell, and she coughed slightly. Her nose was beginning to burn painfully with each breath she drew in.

"Well, we're on a one-way trip, so keep moving," Marcus ordered, his eyes watering at the strong, overbearing smell. They ran through the tunnels, all of them coughing and gagging as they went. "Come on, don't stop," Marcus called out, urging them forward. Allena began to stumble, feeling light-headed and nauseous as she made her way through the dark, green-aired space. She followed the dark, vague shapes in front of her, unsure of if she was following the Gears or figments of her dazed imagination.

She heard the sound of a chainsaw revving and figured they were close; she pushed herself along, trailing after the others as Marcus sawed through flesh. The edges of her vision were growing fuzzy, her thoughts muddled and confused; she stumbled out after the others, fresh air slapping at her face and lungs. She collapsed onto the ground, all of them coughing and retching as the stench clung to their nostrils.

"Where the hell are we now," Dom asked, looking up at them with a frown.

"Looks like… the sternum," Baird said, glancing around. "Or at least, the giant worm equivalent of a sternum… yeah." Allena looked up; it could have been a sternum, she supposed, if one squinted really hard. But hey, who was she to question worm physiology?

"Then the heart's gotta be somewhere around here, right," Marcus asked, one eyebrow raised. Allena pushed herself onto her feet, shaking her head to try and get rid of her terrible migraine.

"One can hope," Baird said, falsely optimistic. Allena hesitated as the others began to move forward; she could feel steady pulsations through her feet and in her chest, matching rhythm with her own heart. She could even see the walls moving in time to the beat. Dom heard it, too, tilting his chin up.

"Hold on, is that a heartbeat," he asked. The others paused, each silent as they picked out the sound.

"Yeah, and the end of this crazy ride," Marcus growled, jumping off a platform and onto the lower level. They all hopped down, moving through the pulsating corridor. Marcus sawed through another membrane, and suddenly the beating became louder, clearer.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the heart," Baird said mockingly, as they all entered the passage. Allena stared at the huge, pulsating mass in the center of the room, tilting her head to the side quizzically.

"That's a really ugly heart," she commented vaguely, slowly walking around. "Wouldn't put that on a valentine's card." Cole chuckled, shaking his head.

"Listen to her, this kid's got jokes," he said approvingly, patting her on the shoulder.

"Alright, guys, enough screwing around," Marcus said. "Let's finish this thing." He stepped forward and lifted his lancer, bringing the chainsaw bayonet down on a thick, rubbery artery. Blood sprayed over them as it pulled apart, the heart beating erratically at the loss of its blood supply. Allena made a face, spitting as blood got into her mouth- that was _disgusting._ Dom took care of another artery, and the heart suddenly ceased beating, the room strangely silent as blood sloshed around their feet.

"Finally, it's over," Dom said, sounding overjoyed as they moved out of the chamber to avoid the rising blood.

"Now we can cut our way out this bitch," Cole said, grinning like a kid.

"Good job, Delta, one dead worm," Marcus said. Allena listened for a second, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. She looked at the others, meeting Baird's eyes for a second.

"Wait a minute," he said slowly, dragging his eyes away from her to look at Marcus. "I still hear a heartbeat."

Of course, life couldn't be that easy.

"We gotta stop it, then," Marcus growled, urging them forward. Allena's shoulders slumped- and here she thought they were home free. Instead, they were still stuck inside a very much alive worm, and covered in blood and god knew what else.

_Stop complaining, Allena, at least your alive._

That thought made her want to cry all over again, an image of poor Ben Carmine's torn body flashing through her mind. She grit her teeth and tightened her grip on her Lancer- she wasn't going to cry. She was going to help take care of this thing, and then she was going to get the hell out of here.

They marched through the worm, the walls pulsating along with the increasing heart beat. More of the parasites erupted from the ground in front of them; they were easily dispatched, everyone's faces set in grim lines.

"We're almost there," Marcus said from ahead, as they reached a ledge. "The heartbeat is getting louder." He sawed through a filmy membrane as the others jumped down, exposing the chamber where the heart was stored. Blood sloshed around their feet as they entered, looking around for the arteries.

"Of course, they've got to be up there," Baird snorted, eyeing the arteries. They were all one behind the other, hanging across a path that spiraled up and around.

"You guys go get on higher ground," Marcus instructed, indicating the path with his Lancer. "Once I cut through those arteries, this place is going to fill up fast." The others hesitantly retreated, the sounds of the chainsaw revving up following them as they went up a separate path. They waited almost anxiously for Marcus to return, hearing the blood pump out of the arteries and fill the cavern they had just been in. After a tense moment, Marcus came up the path, blood covering his armor up to his neck.

"Looks like you had a nice little swim," Baird said sarcastically. Marcus gave the other man a glare, his eyes narrowed as he brushed past the blonde.

"Let's just get out of here," he said testily, then came to a stop and cocked his head to the side. Allena looked up, confused, but then she heard it too- the beating of another heart.

"Son of a bitch, is that another heartbeat?" Dom exclaimed, looking up.

"Baird, just how many hearts does this thing have," Cole asked, looking at the blonde irately.

"How the hell should I know?" The blonde shot back, then looked at Allena. She blinked, startled, then held up one hand.

"Hey, I wouldn't know either," she said, shaking her head. "This is a large creature, though, with the size of the hearts we've seen, it makes sense that it would take a lot more power then that to pump blood to all the major body parts."

"So this thing could have a lot more hearts floatin' around in this shit," Cole asked, sounding incredulous.

"It doesn't matter," Marcus cut in. "We'll cut them all! The heartbeat is getting faster. We can put this thing down." The others nodded hesitantly, sending wary glances to each other. Would this nightmare run never end? They followed the sound of the quickening heartbeat, sawing through another membrane to find the largest chamber yet.

"Okay, Delta, this is it," Marcus said, as they entered the chamber. He moved towards the arteries, his chainsaw revving; before he could take more then three steps, the ground erupted in front of him, white parasites scuttling out of the ground.

"We'll cover you," Dom shouted, as gunfire filled the air. Marcus sloshed through the blood towards the arteries, sawing through the first neatly. Allena couldn't watch him take care of the other as a parasite made a move for her, screaming and chattering. She jumped out of the way, blood splashing around her feet as she landed.

"We're going to be swimming in worm blood if you don't move you're ass," Baird shouted. The blood level was slowly climbing up her leg- if Marcus didn't finish this fast they'd all be goners. Allena took out another of the parasites- apparently, these things could swim through blood. Pleasant.

She spotted Marcus as he moved for the other two arteries on the other side of the hearts when suddenly a group of parasites rushed him; he had no choice but to take them down, a grimace on his face.

"Marcus, come on," Dom shouted desperately. Marcus growled, shooting down the parasites, but he wasn't moving fast enough. Allena dodged out of the way of a parasite, then made a run for the arteries.

"How do I do this," she shouted over her shoulder as she sloshed through the blood.

"Pull the lever," Dom yelled back to her over the sound of gunfire, seeing what she was up to and giving her covering fire. She found the lever and yanked on it just as she reached the first artery, the Lancer nearly jumping out of her hands. She tightened her grip and swung the massive bayonet down, slicing through the artery. She fought past the gush of blood and got to the second one, spitting blood out of her mouth as she sawed through it. The ground shook violently, pitching her into the waist-deep pool of blood- someone reached down and grabbed her, dragging her back up before she could drown.

"Let's go," Marcus shouted, helping her slosh through the rising pool of blood. "Let's get the hell out of here!" Allena began trying to tread water- being shorter then the others, the blood was already dangerously high for her. She struggled frantically, the armor dragging her down. The last thing she saw before the blood rose above her eye level was the flash of a chainsaw bayonet being revved up, flesh flying as it cut through the inside of the worm.


	11. Storming the Castle

**A/N:** Another chapter, just like a promised C: Not much to say, hope you enjoy my loves!

**Chapter 11: Storming the Castle**

It was a silent, grey day. The forest was deceptively still, but if one stood still they would eventually feel a faint tremor begin under their feet. Suddenly, something massive exploded from the ground, a long pillar of flesh twisting into the sky. The giant worm gaped as if it meant to devour the grey sky overhead, then crashed back to the ground, crushing trees underneath it.

The silence returned, as if the beast had been there the whole time. The faint sound of chainsaws could be heard coming from within the worm- and then a giant hole opened up in the side, a rush of blood depositing five Gears onto the floor of the clearing.

"Oh. God dammit," Marcus groaned, coughing as he sprawled out on the ground.

"This is just wrong," Baird said, sounding completely disgusted. "I'm coughing up blood that ain't mine." The blonde pushed himself up and looked around as Marcus radioed Control, requesting a pick-up. The others were sitting up, spitting blood out of their mouths and grimacing.

"Hey, where's Allena," Dom asked suddenly, looking around. The others stopped and stared at him for a second, their expressions perfectly blank. "I swear, she was right next to me when we were cutting our way out of that thing." Jack materialized out of the air, blood and tissues dripping off of his black body as he hovered, buzzing slightly. He turned and floated towards a dark lump lying on the ground only a few feet away.

"Hey baby, you alright," Cole called out, sounding concerned. Baird pushed himself to his feet as the others got up and went to her prone form, feeling a small pit of worry turning in his stomach when she didn't respond. "Allena, you okay?" Cole and Dom gently rolled her over, her head lolling to the side as they rested her on her back. Her dark hair was plastered to her pale face, her skin soaked with blood.

Dom gently picked her up, her head lolling to the side. "Allena, come on, wake up." He gently shook her, his eyes wide. "Allena?"

Suddenly, the young woman gasped, her eyes flying open as she coughed. Dom helped her roll onto her side as she threw up, blood spilling from her mouth. The pale young woman lifted one shaky hand and wiped her mouth as she looked up at them, looking like a lost child for a moment. He exhaled slightly as she shook her head, blood droplets flying from the ends of her hair.

**-=V=-**

"Ugh, I feel like I was just put into a blender," she groaned, coughing up more blood.

"You gave us a scare there," Cole said, patting Allena's shoulder. "We thought you were a goner." She looked up at him, then gave him a weak smile.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," she managed, coughing slightly. "That was close."

"At least you're alright," Dom said, standing up before reaching down to help her to her own feet. She nodded, blinking blood out of her eyes. She felt extremely waterlogged, and there was worm blood _everywhere,_ but otherwise she wasn't hurt. Talk about luck.

"Alright, guys, lets find somewhere to take cover," Marcus said, drawing their attention. "We'll head for the tree line, stay out of the open until our pickup comes and get some rest." Rest actually sounded amazing right now; her legs felt like jelly as they made their way for the trees.

"I officially hate worms," Baird said, plopping down on a fallen log. Allena took a seat at the other end, her legs nearly collapsing underneath her. She was too exhausted to even be bothered by the fact that Baird was giving her nasty looks.

"You're preaching to the choir, my man," Cole said, spitting into the leaves. "That shit was plain nasty."

"At least it's over," Allena said with a sigh. "If anyone so much as says the word worm to me ever again, I'm going to hurl."

"Oh really," Baird asked, one eyebrow raised in devilish amusement. "Fine, _worm_."

"You're disgusting," Allena said primly, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Okay, children, play nice," Dom said, suppressing a grin. "How about you guys save your energy for fighting _Locusts_?"

"Now ain't that a concept," Cole chuckled. Dom and Cole burst into laughter as the two gave them identical glares, looking very much like children sitting in time out. Allena broke and shook her head, grinning as she wiped blood off her forehead. She would definitely miss the banter when she went back to the office. She might not miss much else, but she liked these guys.

Well, with the exception of the blonde sitting next to her.

She turned to look at him as he shifted on the log, reaching back for his sniper rifle. She tilted her head to the side as he pulled a pin out, setting it carefully on the log. "What are you doing," she asked, leaning a little closer for a better look.

"Cleaning it," he said a bit distractedly, working on prying another piece off. "Making sure it won't jam when I need it." He glanced up at her, one eyebrow raised mockingly. "What does it look like I'm doing?" She rolled her eyes and scowled at him, then watched as he quickly and skillfully pulled the rifle apart.

"I didn't know it came apart that easily," she said, surprised, as he laid all the pieces out. He shrugged as he picked one up, checking it for anything that might make it not work.

"You do it enough times, it becomes second nature," he said, wiping blood off of one part. "I could probably do this blindfolded," he added, sounding proud. She snorted a little rudely, one eyebrow raised.

"Show off," she said. He grinned at her, piecing the rifle back together.

"Hey, when you got it, flaunt it," he said easily, fitting the pieces together snugly and then slipping the pin back in. "There, good as new." He held it up to show her- the gun was probably the cleanest thing in their makeshift hideout.

"That was fast," she said, a little more then impressed. She had to admit, he was good with his hands.

"It's one of my many talents," he said with a wink that made her blush. She frowned fiercely as he chuckled. "I think I hear the chopper." She looked up, cocking her head to the side slightly- she could hear the faint, familiar sound of helicopter blades slicing through the air. She pushed herself to her feet, reaching down to smooth her clothes- and then remembered that she was wearing armor. She let her hands drop awkwardly, clearing her throat slightly.

They all left the trees and headed back into the clearing, searching the skies for the chopper. "Hey, what's that," Allena asked, frowning as she pointed at the black blob hanging underneath the King Raven.

"…The hell?" Dom said, sharing a look with Marcus.

"_Look out below Delta, incoming centaur," _a smooth male voice said over the Tac/Com. Dust stirred the air as the King Raven dropped down closer, the Centaur plopping down on the ground with a thud. The metal beast groaned in protest as the King Raven disengaged the line and lifted back up into the air.

"Control, I requested a pickup, not a drop-off!" Marcus said irately, looking up at the retreating chopper. Jack hummed over, his small communications screen flipping down. There was a flash of static, and then the grizzled face of the Colonel dominated the screen.

"_Delta, this is command. You've got new orders, Fenix. Operation hollow storm continues, but we had insufficient intel on the Locust stronghold. We need to accurately pinpoint the heart of the hollow and take out their leader," _he told them. _"Chairman Prescott just declassified an intel file that reveals a decommissioned COG outpost near your location. I've been told it'll give us a lead on the location of the locust stronghold, and possibly some more intel on the locust queen as well. You and delta are to check it out ASAP, and report any findings to command," _

"Excuse me, sir, but what the hell? Just declassified?" Marcus asked. This was probably the most irritated Allena had seen the man on this entire mission- she could feel the anger and frustration crackling in the air. "And what do you mean, a Locust queen?"

"_Everything is on a need-to-know basis, sergeant. On direct orders from the chariman," _Hoffman snapped, glaring out of the screen.

"Colonel, what about Doctor Duke," Dom interrupted, stepping forward. It took a moment for her to realize they were talking about her- people hardly ever called her by her title. The colonel stared at the man blankly, giving Allena the chance to step forward and reveal herself. She lifted a hand awkwardly, waving it slightly.

"_Ah, Miss Duke," _the Colonel said, looking uncomfortable. _"Well, of course she'll be helping you out. She can continue with her… research." _Allena frowned- why did it seem like he was surprised to see her? _"You have your mission, Delta, now get to it. Command out." _The screen turned black, and Jack folded it back up inside of him as they all turned to look at each other.

"Anyone elses bullshit detector just go off?" Baird asked, breaking through the silence that had descended over them like a hawk.

"Marcus, man, this shit sounds sketch," Cole said, turning to look at their leader.

"If Hoffman didn't even know about this place…," Dom mused, then looked at Allena. She bit on her lip- she was still trying to figure out what was going on here. She had an acute feeling that her own personal mission hadn't been all that it seemed, and what Hoffman had told them… well, her bullshit detector was definitely going off, to use Baird's words.

"It's not like we have a choice," he said with a sigh. "This operation's our last shot. Move out." They all turned and looked at the centaur for a moment, as if trying to decide if this was for real.

"Shotgun!" Baird said, as they began moving towards the dark grey vehicle.

**-=V=-**

The ride to the outpost wasn't the best.

Baird grit his teeth together as the Centaur bumped over yet another rock- Jesus, hadn't anyone ever heard of shock absorbers? He glared in the direction of the front seat- instead of getting to ride shotgun (he had _called_ it), he was stuck in the back with Cole and the girl. Dom was sitting up front, helping Marcus navigate.

_You'd think he's telling Marcus to drive up every fucking boulder on the path…_

The only pleasure he got out of this was the sight of Allena being tossed around like a rag doll, and he didn't even find much enjoyment in that. He was too busy trying not to smack his head on something (although Allena had already done that, twice. He was surprised she was still conscious.)

The centaur jolted fiercely as the sound of screeching metal tore through the air, then finally came to a stop, and they could hear the sound of rain pounding against the black metal hulk.

"I hope no one believes in ghosts," Baird said, feeling a slight chill as he looked out the front window and through the rain at the decrepit building. Allena looked at him with wide eyes- he smirked at her, one eyebrow raised mockingly.

They all climbed out of the centaur and out into the rain- the cold water ran down their faces and bodies in rivulets, washing away any leftover blood and gunk.

"Cole, Baird, stay here and guard the centaur," Marcus ordered. Baird sighed, his eyebrows furrowing together as he frowned.

"What's up with _that,_" he asked mockingly. "You expecting an attack on the ghost town?"

"These days, Baird, you should expect anything," Marcus said pointedly, irritating the blonde. And he thought he was so high and fucking mighty, just because he was a Sergeant. "Dom, Allena, you come with me."

"You're taking _her_ in there," Baird asked, one eyebrow raised. Allena glared at him, looking more pissed off then she should have been.

"I have better things to do then baby-sit the centaur," she said heatedly. He blinked, slightly startled by how snappy she was. What was eating at her? He wondered if it had anything to do with Hoffman, but before he could think more about it the others had already taken off through the rain, water splashing up as they jogged across the muddy courtyard.

"She don't seem too happy," Cole commented, moving back towards the centaur.

"Are any of us," Baird snorted in reply, turning to follow. "Hoffman's reaction to her, though… it was like he wasn't expecting her to be around."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too, man." Cole paused to look at his friend, peering at him through the rain. "You think they were expecting her to die?"

"Pfft, honestly, I would have, too," Baird snorted. "I mean, look at her. She's absolutely tiny, she'd never been in combat before- she's like the runt that no one expects to survive beyond a week."

"Come on now, man, that ain't being fair to her," Cole said. "Obviously, she's doing better then anyone expected. Still, if they thought she was gonna die, why send her out here? You don't think… you don't think they wanted her dead, do you?"

"That's ridiculous," Baird snorted. "The COG isn't that fucked up. Besides, why the hell would they want her dead?"

"I don't know, baby, but I got a bad feeling about this," Cole said grimly, looking through the rain.

**-=V=-**

"So why would they build a base way out here? And what are we looking for, anyway?" Allena glanced back at Dom- she had been wondering the same thing. It was risky, putting an outpost this far out. And if it had been deserted, would anything of importance still be around? For all they knew, the place could have been raided long ago.

"Not sure… though I got a bad feeling we'll know it when we see it," Marcus said grimly. They continued walking, rain pelting down on them. Allena almost wished she had stayed with the centaur- but then again, she was sure she could handle the rain much better then she could deal with Baird right now.

"But if this place has answers, why would they be looking into it now? Doesn't make sense," Dom began again, a frown on his face.

"Yeah, governments rarely do," Marcus said, shaking his head as they moved under an outcropping of the roof to get out of the rain. The sound of breaking glass had them freezing, the conversation abruptly cut off.

"What was that," Allena whispered, her eyes wide. They inched forward, coming around the corner of the building. Something dashed across the other end of what appeared to be a parking lot, disappearing behind the building.

"Something's up there," Dom said immediately, lifting his Lancer. "What was that?"

"Wretches, maybe- I couldn't tell," Marcus said, lifting his Lancer as well.

"Wretches," Allena asked, alarmed. She didn't like the sound of that. "What are those?"

"You don't wanna know," Marcus growled softly. "Stay alert." They moved forward, a building on the other end of the space visible through the rain. "A lot of open space here, you two, watch for snipers," Marcus instructed. Allena shivered slightly- she prayed fervently that luck would be on their side, just this once. They continued towards the building, Lancers raised.

"This place doesn't look like an outpost," Dom said with a frown, as they sloshed through the rain. "It looks more like a warehouse, or something like that."

"It's probably just a façade- they've obviously been hiding something here," Marcus reasoned. Allena stared at the building- it looked kind of like a church to her. The entrance was ornate and almost pretty, as worn and dirtied as it was- an odd look for something that was supposed to be a military outpost.

"Yeah, but what," Dom asked, as they went up the stairs.

"I guess we'll find out."

Marcus approached the door and, after trying the handle with no success, stepped back and kicked the door down. They entered the building carefully, senses on high alert. Jack turned on a flashlight, shining harsh white light over the abandoned desks and computers that littered the large room.

"It looks like some stranded might have been here," Dom said, looking around. He nudged an old, dirty sleeping bag with one foot for emphasis, then looked up at the others.

"It smells like the plumbing's out," Marcus said, as Allena covered her nose with a grimace. It did smell rather gross- people had been living here once? "This place is a mess." Allena moved over to one of the desks, dragging her fingers over it idly. Her fingers left a trail in the dust- she made a face and wiped her hand on her armor.

"Hmm? What's this," Allena murmured, noticing a small catch on the surface of the desk. She prodded it further and found that the panel came up- she lifted it up carefully, peering underneath. She made a small noise of disgust as spiders scuttled out of the hidden storage, their hiding space exposed- she wasn't a big fan of spiders. She leaned in, swallowing hard as she brushed back cobwebs and dust. There, hidden in the small compartment, was a small book, a log of sorts. It looked like some sort of report, so she picked it up and set it aside. Underneath was a picture- she gingerly picked it up and looked at it, tilting her head to the side quizzically. It was a picture of two pretty blonde women, both of them sitting outside. She recognized the setting, even though it looked different underneath the sun- it was right out front, on the stairs. Both women looked like they could have been sisters, sitting there and smiling next to each other.

"Hey, Allena, you coming," Dom called, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked over her shoulder and nodded, before putting the catch back in place. She grabbed the picture and reports and tucked them into her pack, then jogged to catch up with the other two, staring down a long hallway. Marcus clipped his Lancer to his back and lifted a hand to his ear, his eyes fixed on the door at the other end.

"Control, this is Delta, do you copy," Marcus said, as they slowly moved forward.

"_Delta, this is command, do you have something to report," _Hoffman said over the Tac/Com. Marcus scowled slightly- obviously, Hoffman wasn't the person he had wanted to talk to.

"Uh, no, trying to reach control," Marcus said, one eyebrow raised.

"_Control is offline for now, Delta," _Hoffman informed them impatiently. _"You'll report directly to command. Over." _

"Roger that, Delta out," Marcus said, cutting the channel, then sighed irately as he retrieved his Lancer.

"We're screwed," Dom said, shaking his head. Marcus shot him a look, then tilted his head up as they approached a door that resembled a bank vault. There were monitors all around it, and in the top center one a vague, poorly defined face came into view.

"Welcome to Jameson Depot," a smooth male voice said. "Proper identification is required for entry." The three glanced at each other, eyebrows raised- proper identification?

"You've gotta be kidding me," Marcus said disbelievingly.

"I'm sorry, but proper identification is required for entry," the voice said primly; it was vaguely annoying, and Allena could feel the irritation oozing off the two men next to her. She felt puny compared to the two giant, obviously ticked-off men. "Good day."

"Jack, rip this door open, pronto," Marcus said after a moment, looking at the robot. Jack hovered forward, his hand turning into a blowtorch. He began working on the door, but there seemed to be no change- Marcus sighed, shaking his head.

"Forget it, Jack, we're gonna have to blow this thing open," Marcus said, lifting a hand to his ear. "Baird, can you get a blast charge ready?"

"_Course. Regular or extra strength," _the blonde asked over the Tac/Com, as blandly as if he were asking if Marcus wanted creamer or sugar with his coffee. The three glanced at each other- Dom shrugged, looking amused.

"Extra strength," Marcus finally replied. "We'll recon till you're ready."

"_Roger, Boss man, Baird out."_

"You're going to trust him with explosives," Allena asked, one eyebrow raised. Dom shrugged, nodding.

"He's the best when it comes to these kind of things," Dom said, then paused and grinned. "Well, at least he'd like to think so." Allena couldn't help her own grin, shaking her head slightly.

"Come on, you two, let's see if we can get some power," Marcus growled, drawing the two's attention. The two shared another grin before setting off after Marcus, Jack leading the way as they turned down a dark hallway.

"It looks like they left this place in a hurry," Allena said, peering through the darkness at the mess of boxes and shelves that littered the place. She cursed sharply as she stubbed her toe on the corner of a shelve, before irately moving to the side a bit.

"I wonder why," Dom said, kicking over some boxes. Allena shrugged, nudging a box over with the toe of her boot.

"Do you guys mind if I look around," she asked, looking up at them. The two paused, sharing a glance with each other.

"Alright," Marcus said hesitantly after a moment. "But stay close, and if something so much as twitches you come right back to us."

"Roger that," Allena said with a nod, before poking around the room. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, allowing her to pick out vague shapes in the darkness. She peered at one of the shelves, checking the boxes to see if they were empty. Most of them were, but every once in a while she'd find one stuffed with papers. Seeing as she had very little room for carrying anything, she left them, figuring that it was mostly data charts and shipment logs.

She noticed that she couldn't spot the guys anymore and jogged to catch up with them, having found nothing within the boxes or shelves. She caught up as they passed through a hall lined with windows, the rain pattering against it steadily. It was all kind of eerie- she'd hate to be stuck here alone. Fireflies floated through the air, lending some small light to the dark hallway.

"Stay alert," Marcus suddenly said- it was obvious that the two men had heard something Allena hadn't. She grabbed her Lancer, holding it tightly as she remembered what they had said about wretches. They continued down the twisting halls, and then Allena heard it- something that sounded like a lion yawning, far away and yet close enough to be disconcerting. Jack continued to lead the way, fearlessly buzzing along. The hallways were eerily empty as they continued down them, save for the fireflies that filled the air.

They finally came to another room filled with shelves and boxes. Jack shone his light around the room- and as they entered it, boxes tumbled over on the other side of the room, causing a muffled squeak to escape Allena's mouth.

"Shh," Dom hissed softly. She slapped a hand over her mouth and nodded, making an apologetic expression. He gave her a smile to sooth her fears, then turned his attention to the room before them, sweeping the area for what might have knocked the boxes over.

"It's clear," Marcus said softly, motioning them forward. They moved towards the other side of the room, where a new hall was waiting- and stopped as something scampered into view for a moment before disappearing behind the wall.

"Marcus," Allena whispered, the fear in her voice obvious. "Was that a dog?" Marcus and Dom exchanged glances, an unreadable expression on their faces.

"I wish it was that easy," Dom said grimly, causing Allena to panic slightly. She shoved it down, tightening her grip on her Lancer- she couldn't screw this up. If she could handle Locusts and tickers and even a _brumak,_ she should be able to handle whatever this was.

Right?

_Then again, all you did was shoot at the brumak,_ her mind told her nastily. _Little more then throwing rocks at it, really._

_Shut up, me._

They entered the room cautiously, Jack sweeping his light over the room. The harsh white light fell over a metal contraption sitting on the floor- it kind of looked like a gun, but Allena had no idea exactly what it was.

"Sweet, a flamethrower," Dom said, sounding excited. "Think it still works?"

"Never know till you try," Marcus said. Dom moved forward and picked it up, examining it. Allena came a little closer, too, immensely curious- she'd never seen a flamethrower before.

"Remember how Carmine was always talking about fire," Dom said, grinning as he checked it out. He paused, his grin fading slightly as he looked at the others. "He would have loved this thing…" Allena bit her lip, trying not to think about it.

"Yeah… and burned our asses with it," Marcus said gruffly, shaking his head.

"Rest in peace, Carmine," Dom said softly. They stood in the room in somber silence, all of them staring at the flamethrower. Then, Marcus turned around, motioning for the others to follow.

"Just our luck," Marcus said, as they entered the room at the end of the hall. It looked like some sort of electrical room, with circuit breakers and different control panels lining the walls. Marcus walked towards a switch in the middle of the wall, reaching out and grabbing it. "Let's try this out," he said, yanking the lever down. There was a moment of silence, and then sparks began to fly as the power generators booted back up, the overhead lights snapping on and flooding the room with light.

"Should we try that door again," Dom asked, glancing at Marcus. The scarred Gear shook his head as Jack snapped his light off.

"Nah, it's not a power issue, it's clearance," he explained. Dom glanced at Allena, and she shrugged- Marcus was right. How the security system had worked without the main power system on was beyond her, and made her extremely curious- what were they hiding here?

"Let's just get back to the centaur, then," Dom said, moving forward with Jack leading the way. Allena jogged forward to catch up, feeling a lot better now that there was light. Marcus went to the other side of the room and pulled a lever, the door sliding open seamlessly. They entered a room that looked a lot like a mass storage unit, large wooden crates stacked up to the roof. There were no lights in here- Allena had to squint to see, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness.

"Wretches," Dom shouted suddenly, as something leaped out of the darkness. Allena shrieked, falling back as one of them jumped at her. She scrambled back to her feet and shot at them, her heart pounding in her chest. The little creatures were almost _impossible_ for her to shoot- they moved too fast, jumping out of the way before her bullets hit them. She felt heat wash over her as Dom revved up the flamethrower, effectively burning two of the wretches into oblivion. She focused her attention into playing dodge ball with them, jumping out of the way before they could get her.

Something slammed into her back, causing her to topple over with a scream. Her Lancer skittered out of her hands and into the darkness as something clawed at her back, fetid breath washing over her as it howled. She struggled fiercely, bucking it off and rolling over onto her back. Another one jumped on top of her, and yet another grabbed her by the leg and began to drag her, shaking its head hard enough to make it hurt. She kicked her feet and tried to push the wretch on top of her away, an agonized scream tearing from her throat as its claws sliced along the side of her neck. She managed to kick the other one away and shoved at the one on top of her, crying out again as its teeth sunk into her hand.

"Allena!"

A loud shot rang painfully in her ear, and then the wretch was slumping off of her, its jaws going slack around her hand. She pushed it off as Marcus ran over to her, reaching down to help her up as Dom took care of the wretches with his flamethrower.

"Are you alright," he asked, pulling her to her feet. She almost fell over again, cursing, as her leg throbbed in protest of her weight. Marcus growled softly, clipping his Lancer to his back, then slung her arm over his shoulders and helped support her, using his pistol to shoot at the wretches.

"Clear," he growled as the last one went down, looking at Dom. "Let's get the hell out of here."


	12. Importance and the Science of Learning

**A Word from Chronos:**

Hey guys, it's me. So, I've been rereading Revelations, and I realize I'm not happy with the way its turning out. Not the story itself, exactly, but how it is written. Only having Allena's point of view feels to narrow for my likes. So, I've decided to rewrite it. I hope you guys totally forgive my suck-ishness, and I wish I had realized that I didn't like it being written this way _before_ we were eleven chapters deep, but its a learning experience for me, I guess.

I really hope you guys will stick around and read the rewritten adventures of Allena and the rest of the loveable crew. And I really hope you don't kill me for this ^_^; (but I totally wouldn't blame you if you went shotgun to the face on me. Totally wouldn't.)

You can find the new story here: www dot fanfiction dot net slash s slash 6835579 slash 1 slash RE_Revelations


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